


Judge, Jury and Executioner

by greyassassin24



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Pre-Canon, Red Lyrium, Red Templars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:12:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 89,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5201978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greyassassin24/pseuds/greyassassin24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amidst the chaos and violence following the death of Divine Justinia, Cantis Trevelyan, a former Red Templar, undergoes a dark transformation that will forever shape the future of Thedas. He must now must hunt those he once called brothers... including his own husband.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Liam Trevelyan, chief of security, found the Great Man sitting alone in his darkened office, half a drained bottle of liquor on the desk. The boss was silhouetted against city lights. The only other illumination was from a green-shaded lamp on the big glass-topped desk across the room, so that the Great Man was mostly in shadow, sitting with his arms crossed, dressed in the eerie glow of his red armour.

It was late at night, past the peak of the moon, and Liam, a tired and middle-aged man in a rain-dampened suit and a shaved head, badly wanted to go home, kick off his shoes, and curl up next to his husband. But the Great Man often worked late, and he’d been waiting for these two reports. One made him revolt in horror, every word dragging terror in his bones. It was a report that made him want a stiff drink, and fast. But he knew the Great Man wouldn’t offer him one.

“ _The Great Man._ ” was how Liam thought of his boss—one of the most deceptively powerful men in the whole of the world. The term was both sarcastic and serious, and Liam kept it to himself—the Great Man was vain and quick to sense the slightest disrespect. Yet sometimes it seemed the tycoon was casting about for a friend he could take to heart. Liam was not that man. People rarely liked him much. Something about old soldiers, people always running lest they catch up to themselves.

“Well?” the Great Man asked, barely looking up as Liam sat opposite him. “Do you have them?”

“I have them both, sir.” He answered curtly, pulling the papers from his jacket.

“Let’s have the report on the Conclave first, get it out of the way. The other one…” He shook his head. “Well, on with it.”

Liam swallowed a moment, nodding. The Great Man wasn't the sort you kept waiting, even when you figured what it would mean. “Divine Justinia's conclave is scheduled a week and a half from now. From our reports, Lord Seeker Lucius Corin and Grand Enchanter Fiona have both agreed to attend, but neither of them seem to currently be on their way. Word among the Templars is that the Lord Seeker has regretted agreeing to come, and the Mages believe that it's a trap of some sort, and Fiona will only send emissaries in her place.” Dire news. Whatever the intent was, if those two didn't trust that it would work, it wouldn't.

The Great Man grimaced. His shoulders, angularly padded in his armour, slumped ever so slightly. “Then the conclave's already failed, hasn't it?” Liam nodded, knowing what it meant. The Conclave was the only hope of the Mage-Templar war ending without any further bloodshed. But now it had already failed without any sort of trust. He shook his head and looked up again. “And the other report?”

Liam grimaced, not wanting to think of what the report said. But he had to, much as it hurt. “After… detailed… research, we found that Knight-Commander Meredith's statue form is… growing. The Red Lyrium is… well, it's… alive.”

The Great Man nodded, rubbing his tired eyes. He obviously hadn't been shocked by the news, though the rumours about Meredith growing larger even when frozen in the middle of the Gallows had persisted for months.

“According to the stories from that day the Champion defeated her,” Liam went on. “Some in the immediate area were … atomized. Blown to bits. Dozens of Templars, who were resistant to the Lyrium she had been taking, were killed instantly, and many more of them have gotten incredibly sick, almost all of them dead now. A great many more dying from flash burns and trauma, people who weren't even in the Gallows.” He glanced up, and met The Great Man's serious gaze. “It's spreading, it'll probably kill more than the entire battle did.”

The Great Man sighed, and lay back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. Uncomfortable silence took the air for a long time before he spoke again. “I despise what civilization is becoming, Liam. First the Chantry locked and tortured men, for being born wrong. Then they turned on the people they used to jail those mages, left to rot after they burned away out minds. And now this, led to a war and all they do is sit back and watch. Once I would have said that the riding ourselves of the Chantry was the answer, but now it has seeped into the rest of the world. Little men on the backs of great ones. It will only stop when real men stand up and say ‘ _no more_ ’!”

Liam nodded, shivering. At times the Great Man could convey the power of his inner conviction, radiating power and strength. There was an undeniable power around him, and he remembered in a moment why he followed him.

After a moment the Great Man looked curiously at Liam, as if wondering how much he could be trusted. At last his employer said, “My mind is made up, Liam. We're going forward.”

Liam nodded again, knowing, at least in part, as to what he meant. “Yes sir.” He said, deciding not to ask for any further explanation. What little he knew was more than enough. “Anything more, sir?

I mean—tonight? Suledin asked me and Cantis to go hunting with her tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes go and get some rest. But there’ll be no rest for me tonight. I must plan…”

So saying, Raleigh Samson motioned, and Liam left. Then he lay his head on his desk, scared to death.


	2. Blood on the Wind

The next morning was clear and cold, a whisper of death on the breeze that so often heralded the oncoming winter. It wouldn't be more than a few weeks before the autumn ended.

The town was in flames.

The narrow streets leading to the moat and the first terrace belched smoke and embers, flames devouring the densely clustered thatched houses and licking at the castle walls. From the west, from the harbour gate, the screams and clamour of vicious battle,  screams of blood and death.

Both sides of the war had  appeared unexpectedly, shattering the barricades which had been held by no more than a few soldiers, a handful of townsmen carrying halberds and some crossbowme n . Their horses, decked out in flowing black caparisons, flew over the barricades like spectres, their riders' bright, glistening blades sowing death amongst the fleeing defenders.  The Templars and the Mages had chosen this town as their battleground, and death would fall upon all, especially those caught in their way.

A woman clutched her daughter closely on their horse, spurring hard to escape the battle that had encircled their sleepy town. “Hold on,”  She whispered in her child's ear . “Hold on  as tightly as you can.”

More sounds of battle, now in front, behind… all the around them. The desperate mother turned in her saddle and caught a glimpse of the skirmish from the corner of her eye  —  the crazed swirl of  steel armour and black cloaks amidst the clash of steel, the clatter of blades  and magic against shields...

Shouts. No, not shouts. Screams.

“ Hold on.”

T heir horse screamed out, and she looked down, blood spluttering over the hands on the reigns from where a bolt had struck the horse. The  world whirled about her, and  then rushed up towards her as the horse fell.

She stood, realizing that there was a Templar standing over them, blade in hand. Whatever had been the protector of the common folk was gone from these men, and now there was a simple desire to kill, to destroy, to begin again.

She stood over her daughter, who was whimpering quietly. This man would have to cut through her before he could take her child.

Before the Templar could act, his eyes widened, and his hand flew to his throat, gasping even as his face was disguised by the mask he wore. A moment later, blood flowed down and past his hand. Then he fell, and revealed what was behind him.

There stood a man with dark brown hair and grey eyes that held sadness, yet an unwavering strength. His skin was tanned and his face was long and scarred, mouth set. He wasn't a mage nor a Templar, instead wearing a simple, thick coat made of furs and leathers.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. He just smiled and nodded. Then he turned, and strode almost calmly into the midst of the battle, alone. The Templars and Mages set upon him as well, and soon steel and iron flashed and flared, blood on the air.

The woman watched in both horror and awe, expecting her saviour to drop at any moment, but that moment never came. Instead he whirled and dove, every strike against him redirected and matched in full, men of magic and steel both falling before him, until all that stood was him.

All souls fell, and passed. All except for his.

He looked around, the townspeople who had been in hiding slowly coming out from their homes, watching the destruction of their village. So much damage had been done, but so much more could have been done. With a nod, he sheathed his blade and walked away without saying a word, without waiting for thanks.

* * *

 

“Another one?” Suledin complained as Cantis recounted the tale of him saving the town as to why he was late to their meeting. This was the third battle between the Mages and the Templars this week alone. Their war was consuming the world, slowly.

“If I hadn't been there...” Cantis shook his head sadly. He had already lost his father as well as his farm to this damnable war. Too many times had he gotten a letter telling him that a friend or family member on one side of the war, or even just caught in their crossfire, had been taken by the fighting. If it didn't end soon...

In the room sat four people. Liam and Cantis were seated close to one another on one side, each wearing the other's ring on their left hand. Opposite the couple was Louis, an older Orlesian man whose scarred and tired face was topped with a full head of jet-black hair, accented by a well-groomed beard. Next to him was an elven woman, Suledin. A simple vallaslin marked a rugged complexion that spoke to a hard life, her head framed by a halo of blonde hair.

“It's worse than that.” Louis groaned, falling back into his chair. “The Templars attacked a fortress and neighbouring village in Orlais just two days ago, and killed everyone to the last man. Filled with a thousand men, women and children, all dead.” Cantis winced, memories of his own family taken by the war coming to mind. “They used it to hold off a mage offensive, but wound up getting overrun. Whole place is just a graveyard now.”

An almost collective sigh carried throughout the group. Their entire goal was to end the conflict of the Mages and the Templars. That was what had drawn Liam and Cantis, what had driven them to this point of their lives. But for every victory they won, a dozen more losses were incurred. How much longer it could last like this, no one knew.

When the war had begun, the Templars couldn't have expected the amount of sheer resistance they would face. The easy victory they had anticipated couldn't even be seen in their distant future. The war turned out to be long and bloody, wearing on and on, and their numbers weren't getting any larger. It had been going for almost two years now and mostly consisted of battles for position involving guerrilla excursions and diversions, the taking of villages for defensive positions, the execution of prisoners, and several other atrocities committed by either side. To many, it seemed a very ordinary, if large scale, war: Military operations, encirclement, the breaking of encirclement, various feats, there were commanders, heroes and traitors. But the war was going nowhere. No one was winning, or losing. There was no front line to push, instead only skirmishes and death.

Sometimes, it seemed that one side was gaining an edge, would make a major victory, but their opponent resisted, mobilized additional forces – and the scales were tipped to the other side.

But the war exhausted resources. The war eliminated the best people, and was generally exhausting. It was destroying the world, and if no one stopped it, it wouldn't stop itself.

The door to their room opened, and in strode the men they had been waiting on. One was an older man with a tired and weary face named Samson, dark red under his eyes from too many years of addiction and war. The other was a Qunari mage who called themself Tyrant, a mouth sewn shut and a face pale as a skull, twice as tall as any of them.

At seeing them, Liam immediately stood and grabbed for the tea that had been cooling in the corner, passing them out as Samson and Tyrant sat. They were all the same, mint watered down twice, except for Cantis' cup, which he had made sure to include honey in. He had learned long ago that was his husband's favourite, and was always sure to include it.

“Who'd we lose this time?” Samson asked, gruff and short.

“Fortress of the La Violetts', and the neighbouring village.” Suledin answered, gesturing to Cantis as he accepted his honey tea. “Honnleath was attacked, but saved by Cantis. Village is damaged, but most of the townsmen are still breathing thanks to him.”

Samson nodded approvingly, taking his own tea but not drinking it immediately. “You were nearby?” Cantis nodded. “Good, good. Good work, son.” Look at them, he held up a hand. “Wait on the Tea.” He said, reaching into his pocket. Out he pulled a handful of ground up, powdered Red Lyrium.

“Hell.” Cantis whispered to himself, grabbing his share as with everyone else except for Samson and Tyrant, neither of whom took any as far as the others could see. He believed in the Red Templar ideology, he did, but he had never taken to the actual material itself like everyone else. Samson had promised him an end to this stupid war, and that was why he was here. Not to become addicted to whatever the hell this was.

Half of it stayed in his palm, quietly slipping it into his sleeve. Harmless, something that Samson never had to know about. The rest he lay in his nose and, with a heavy sigh, took a sharp breath. For a moment everything was still, then a wave of agony and collapsed over on the table, gasping for air. He had been a soldier for over a decade and had been in dozens of battles, but never before had he felt such pain as when taking the damned Lyrium.

Liam laid a hand on Cantis' back, rubbing a comforting circle. He knew how much his husband despised taking it, but there was nothing they could do. It was what was asked of them to be in their best condition and able to stop Templars and Mages alike. Sighing deeply, Cantis sat back up and nodded, shaking off how everyone was staring at him.

Their conversations continued long into the night, though nothing of any real use towards that war was brought up, mostly small talk between friends. Whenever the topic was steered back towards the war, Samson would look away before changing the conversation away from it. Whenever he did, Cantis would simply stare at him in disbelief, but Samson would only nod once, as if to himself, before continuing on.

Soon the tea was gone, and the cake after that. Evening and sunset gave way to night, and the moon rose above their heads. Liam reclined back, slowly rubbing his neck. A sure sign that he was exhausted, and ready for bed. Cantis patted him on the top of his leg and looked up at Samson. “We'd best be going.”

“Wait.” Samson said, holding up a hand, and Cantis stopped himself from standing. “I need to talk to you a moment, alone.”

“Oh.” Cantis said, sitting back nervously. “A-alright.” He turned to Liam, and smiled at him. “Go get the horses ready, sweetie. Just be a minute.”

Liam nodded and stood, blinking heavily through tired eyes. Suledin and Louis stood and left, but Tyrant simply stared questioningly at the Red Templar. Samson shook and motioned with his head, making Tyrant stand and walk away reluctantly. The two of them were inseparable, Tyrant being unfailingly loyal and protective of the former Templar.

“Sorry about the wait.” Samson said, leaning forward after everyone else had left. “But I have something I have to ask you. Something that the whole group isn't going to know about, but you and me, okay?”

Cantis tensed up, sitting forward. Samson was talking haltingly, and there was something in his words that made Cantis wince at every breath the other man took. Something in him was concerned, told him just to end this conversation. But he didn't, instead leaning forward and nodding.

“Look, don't get all tense.” Samson said, realizing Cantis' discomfort and trying to disperse it. “You know that conclave Justinia's holding?”

Cantis nodded. “Divine Justinia's invited the leaders of the Mages and Templars to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, right? Trying to get them to sit down and work out their differences with words instead of a fight?”

“Right.” Samson nodded in turn. “Sounds great, they're going to do our job for us. Except… I don't know how well it's going to go down. Neither of the leaders of the Mages or the Templars are actually going to be there. Hell, most of the chain of command of the Templars is staying back home. The lead dignitary they're sending is one who's been twice demoted, both times for striking a commanding officer. To me, that doesn't sound like the best diplomat if you're hoping for peace.”

“If either side were reasonable in the slightest, we wouldn't be in this war.”

Samson chuckled a little. “I wish you weren't so right about that. I really do. Listen, I don't think the problem is the Mages or the Templars.” He leaned in closer, his voice soft. “It's Justinia herself.”

“Justinia?” Cantis asked, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you think that? From what I've seen, she's trying to do the same thing we are.”

“That's what she wants you to think, what she paints herself as.” Samson nodded. “But I don't think that's it. Even a few years back, after the Blight, I was wondering how good of a Divine she really was. She didn't do anything bad, but she didn't really do anything at all. You remember that outrage when the Chantry Brother in Orzammar got himself killed, and the whole Chantry was up in arms? Everyone was talking about what the Divine was going to do in response, everyone was waiting on if there would be a war or diplomacy, or what. And what did she do? Nothing. And even more recently, one of her best people was present in Kirkwall before the Chantry there was destroyed, a woman named Leliana Amell. And what did she do to stop what was happening, to ease tensions? Nothing. Worse, she killed several mages while she was there, which the mages blamed on the Templars.”

“So?” Cantis asked. So she had never been a particularly successful Divine outside of the Chantry's upper echelon, never meant anything to the common people outside of the Chantry's walls. There were many Divines like that, kings and queens too. What did that have to do with anything?

“So I got to thinking recently. Who benefits at all from this war? Not the Mages or Templars, no government benefits except maybe the Qunari, certainly not the common people. There's only one real group who could possibly benefit from this war. The Chantry.”

“What?!” Cantis cried out before shrinking back, forgetting how quiet their conversation had been until that moment. “You can't honestly think that. I'm no Andrastian, but surely you don't think they benefit if their members get killed?”

“Certainly not as a whole, but their elite members might. The Chantry could easily take advantage of the chaos and spread it's reach across all of southern Thedas. Now, the cost that it comes at is absurd, but I would believe Justinia is a bad enough Divine to consider it at the very least. But worse than that, we've found that her other best agent, a woman named Cassandra Pentaghast, was given a writ by the Divine authorizing her to reform the old Inquisition at her will. So far she hasn't, but can you imagine the damage that could cause? The Inquisition used to have free reign over whatever they wanted to do, free will over most of Thedas, and no one could stop them. If that sort of power were directly under the control of the Divine...”

“She would be the most powerful person in Thedas.” Cantis finished. “Shit, you're right. What are you thinking we should do?”

Samson shook his head slowly. “I don't know. But I think that she's not only going to not get anything accomplished during her Conclave, but might very well make it worse, rekindle their hatred of one another. We can't let that happen.”

“So what do we do?” Cantis asked, heart pounding in his chest, blood behind his ears.

Samson sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. He looked… tired, exhausted. He laboured and laboured all day and night over the Red Templars, over ensuring that everything went well for those under his command. Cantis didn't envy him the position he must be in after everything that had happened.

“We have to kill Divine Justinia.”


	3. Wildfire

“I’m too scared to go out there, Mama,” Grace said, for the tenth time in the last ten minutes.

Leliana sighed and sat forward, a strand of loose hair dangling into her eyes. “I know. But you have to, sweetie.” Her heart ached for her daughter and the struggle that they fought together every day.

“You have something we call agoraphobia, Grace” The consular said gently. The official Chantry consular, the only one with any real mental health training and one of the few people who knew of Grace's existence. A kindly middle aged man wearing a simple jacket. He had a trim beard, a large nose, a sad smile, inquisitive eyes.

“You have to do this, sweetheart.” Leliana said.

“Well, no,” He said slowly. “She doesn’t _have_ to. But she wants to, really. She just has mixed feelings about it.”

“The sky scares me,” Grace insisted, shoving her mother back.

“I know it does.” Her mother sighed. “But sweetheart, we all have to face it some time.”

“No!” Her daughter shouted, sitting back in her seat. “Where's mommy? Mommy never makes me go outside.”

Leliana winced and her heart stilled at the mention of her wife, Grace's other mother. For a moment, memories flashed in her mind of her lover, of the legendary Hero of Ferelden. Her smiles, the way her eyes sparkle when the sun strikes them, the love in everything she does… Mara...

But then she blinked and was brought back to reality. Mara was gone, and all that she had left behind was a daughter and a faint hope that they might see one another one day.

“Mommy's not here.” Leliana said as calmly as she could manage, steadying her voice. “But we are. Sweetheart, you can't just not go outside for the rest of your life. Mommy wouldn't want that.”

“She's been through something traumatic… perhaps in war?” Her consular suggested, raising an eyebrow at Leliana. She simply nodded wordlessly. It was true enough, at any rate. “I thought so. Well, I think she can be helped, but she has to face her fears herself. Haven's not that far from the Temple here, and the Conclave is still a few hours from now. Maybe she could agree to a short walk with you?”

After a while, Grace reluctantly agreed to go, but it was clear that she was becoming more and more frightened as they got closer to the doors outside. Feeling a pang of guilt over putting her daughter through such misery, she picked Grace up, letting her put her arms around her neck, and then lifted her up, carrying her piggyback and making her laugh for a moment before shivering and curling closer to her mom.

“Oh!” Grace as they stepped out into the cold sun in the mountains and clung harder, shaking. She cried on the way, but didn’t ask to hide from the sky, only clinging to her mother and sobbing. It broke Leliana's heart to hear, but she tried to carry on for her sake.

But soon enough it was too much to deal with her heart aching. She turned and went back to the Temple not halfway through their trip, feeling utterly defeated.

* * *

 

"Sorry I'm late." Leliana sighed as she sat in the conference room where Cassandra and Divine Justinia were waiting on her. "Grace had a visit with that consular downstairs."

"Is she doing any better?" Justinia asked, but Leliana just shook her head sadly.

"No, and I'm starting to worry. It's been almost two years since she started acting like this, and she's only gotten worse, especially after Mara left to help the Wardens." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't continue like this, trying to run two different lives in tandem with one another. One being a mother and wife, the other being the left hand of the Divine.

"We're always keeping her in our prayers." Justinia assured her before turning to Cassandra. "Listen. The Mages and Templars are going to be here soon, and I'm certain that someone's going to try something. I need you two on the highest alert today, alright?" Both of the women opposite her nodded. "Good. I don't know what's going to happen today, but we all know exactly what's going to happen if we don't stop this war."

They nodded again. Leliana had seen first hand what happened when the Mages and Templars fought, first during the Blight, and again during the events of Kirkwall. This war was going to envelop the world if they didn't stop it soon. And if anyone in the world could do it, it was Justinia.

“Are Lucius and Fiona coming?” Cassandra asked, raising an eyebrow. If the leaders of either side didn't show…

“I don't know.” Justinia shook her head. “I don't know. But even if they don't, we have to try and settle things with whoever they send. We'll give them an hour for all of their people to arrive and get settled, then meet me in here again.”

A moment later, an elven Chantry messenger burst into the room, face pale white and breathing hard.

“Your Holiness.” He gasped, panting and sweating. “I… I…”

“Take a breath, child.” All three women stood as he entered, and he nodded repeatedly.

“The… the mines.” He gasped. “Our men in the mines… they… they're missing. I was sent up to deliver a message to them… and… and they...”

“They're missing?” Cassandra asked, hand dancing to the hilt of her sword. “Just… gone?”

He nodded repeatedly. “Yes. They're… they're just not there. And when I came out to here, I saw a man… m-moving the bodies of Valo-Kas company, blood… blood everywhere. I… I think I managed to get by him before he saw me…”

Cassandra gasped beside her, but Leliana simply nodded. They should have seen this coming, someone making a power grab of some kind.

“I'll take care of this.” She said, grabbing her bow from off the table. “Cassandra, watch Justinia.”

* * *

 

**Half an hour earlier**

"Alright." Samson sighed, heaving himself from his horse alongside Cantis. "This is the place."

There must have been thousands of people pouring into the Temple of Sacred Ashes, marching alongside the snow covered mountains. Even if the leaders of either side weren't present, surely the majority of their forces were.

"Listen." Samson said, and Cantis listened intently. "I'm sure that security here is going to be tighter than a miser's purse, given how important this place is. Even with all these people, I wouldn't bet on being able to blend in with the crowds, at least not without a disguise."

"So what are you thinking we do?" Cantis asked, handing his horse off to a stablehand.

"I think I can get in." Samson looked at the gates and nodded. "I am still a Templar after all. But you? I think you'll need to take a different route inside." He pointed, and Cantis followed his finger to a checkpoint on a bridge, then above it to an icy ridge that led into a cave. "There. An old mining complex, takes you right up to the Temple. Go through it and the take the road that it leads out into. I'll meet you partway there at a side entrance to the temple. Got it?" Cantis nodded. "Alright. Remember how important this is. We're only going to have one change to make this right, so be on guard. If you get caught..." He trailed off then shook his head.

"I won't." Cantis assured him, and Samson smiled.

"Good. I've faith in you."

* * *

 

Cantis immediately regretted not being able to go with Samson through the crowds.

The ladder to the station collapsed on him midway through climbing it, twisting his ankle and forcing an alternate path of precariously climbing the ice cliffs by hand. And it only got worse from there.

The mining complex, an old borehole mine that went on forever beneath his feet, was long since abandoned and only recently restaffed by the Chantry's guardsmen to protect the Temple itself. Bridges were in disrepair, platforms too unstable to walk across, and the ceiling itself periodically falling down around his ears. If he weren't so quick to dive from it's way, he'd have been killed a hundred times over by the time he left.

Not to mention the guards from the Chantry. A pang of overwhelming guilt struck whenever he was forced to strike one down and hurl their bodies down the mineshaft. He had come to stop this insanity, not compound it. Whispering a few words asking for forgiveness, he hurried on. It was his duty to ensure that their sacrifice wasn't for nothing.

Eventually he came upon fresh sunlight once more, and breathed a sigh of relief. Samson was nowhere to be seen, but there was still plenty of distance left before the Temple itself.

Turning the corner, he froze.

Standing before him was a dozen Qunari soldiers who stood around a fire in the freezing snowfall of the mountains. They had fierce, intimidating weapons slung across their backs, and all in a matching uniform of coloured plate armour.

"Adaar, straighten that back!" One of them called to a small one with no horns and a young face. She sighed and straightened up, weighing the weapon on her back.

Panic licked at Cantis' skin, his heart pounding behind his ears. He dove for the snow of the overgrowth, silently begging that the snow would be enough to cover his advance from them. He didn't fear open conflict with them, even armed and armoured Qunari couldn't stop him from accomplishing what he had come for. But this close to the Temple and someone might hear them fight, not to mention more unneeded blood on the snow.

"Why do you suppose the Divine hired us just to stick us in the arse end of nowhere?" One of them asked as Cantis began to slip past.

"Well, I'm bettin' that 'he didn't just 'ire us to guard." Another one shrugged. "Besides, 'e're the freaks, right? Stick us in the back where no one can see us."

As he stepped by, one of the icicles above Cantis' head wobbled and fell under it's own weight. He rolled back and away from it with incredible agility just moment before it slammed into the ground. The company of mercenaries all looked up at once and saw him.

"'Ey!" One shouted and their weapons were drawn, dashing towards him. "Who're you?"

He closed his eyes as his heart pounded in his chest, swearing under his breath. "I'm a Templar." He lied as quickly as he could, holding up his hands. "I got separated from the rest of my fellows and wound up here."

"Lost?" The young faced one, Adaar, snorted. "You mean to say you got lost up a ladder and through a mine, and didn't get seen by any of the guards?"

"I..." He trailed off, mentally swearing again.

For a moment, everything was still once more. Then Cantis lashed out in a blur of motion, striking the weapon from the Qunari's hand and sidestepping from another's.

The Qunari were monsters of men, mountains of flesh and muscle. But Cantis was a highly trained killer, an old soldier, and it would take more than a few mercenaries to stop him.

In a lightning fast movement, he hit the disarmed soldier across the back of the head, bringing him to his knees, and kicked him in the neck, taking him down. Jumping back and rolling away to avoid another swing at him, he drew both his longsword and arming sword that he had kept at his belt, steel flaring when the sun struck it.

The combination took quite the strength to wield, more than the normal warrior could withstand. The longsword was built for two hands to hold it, but he held it in tandem with another, slightly shorter sword in the other hand. Few could effectively use such a pair, but hundreds of hours of training had left it a deadly dance of death in his hands.

Steel flared and flashed as the Qunari tried to take him down, but it was useless. Cantis moved faster than they could hit, weaving his way throughout their ranks and letting one swing of his blade lead into the next, every step leading further out of their reach. His movements flowed smooth and fast like a raging river, and it was useless to stop him.

The Qunari quickly fell to his blades, and his heart ached for every one that he killed, particularly when the young one fell without a word or a cry, just a pathetic whimper. So many years ago he had tried to leave this world of violence behind for something simpler and easier, to take up a life of farming and make a family. But violence begets violence, and the world wasn't done with him yet.

He resolved the drop the Qunari from here down to an icy ridge to hide their bodies, and come back later for a real burial. He didn't know exactly what to do with a dead Qunari, but it didn't feel right just leaving them here. Not with their faces still, some with open lips as if trying to communicate one last want.

Not that moving them was easy in the least. Each weighed several times more than the Red Templar, and it took much more precious time than he had thought to move them out of the way, kicking snow over their dark blood to cover the trail.

Noticing the weapon of one of them, he grabbed a crossbow from off the snow, dusting it off and grabbing the spare quiver of bolts from their body. It felt wrong, stealing from the dead. But they no longer needed it, and with something as delicate as assassinating the Divine of Southern Thedas, who knew what he would need. If there was any justice in the world, it would already be judging him for what he had come to do.

Moments later he heard footsteps breaking through the silence of death and snow. Turning, he saw a fiery haired woman dressed in leather and scale armour with lavender lace dressed across her neck and head in a wrapping. He dove for the snow bank, covering himself in it and only having a small viewpoint with which to see her with, scavenged crossbow ready if she found him.

Cantis' heart pounded in his ears, breath catching as she looked around, an ironbark longbow in her hands. She took another step towards him, and then another, not quite looking at where he lay, but certainly suspicious. There was no evidence of the crimes he had committed, but it was as if she smelled the blood still staining the air of the mountain side.

Another step… and another…

He nodded silently to himself, a trembling finger flicking the trigger mechanism on the crossbow. Any closer, and there would be yet more irredeemable blood on his hands. Whatever fate and history thought of him for this, it was worth it to end this war.

Another step…

Then another figure came bursting from the snowfall, crying out to the woman. “Momma!” The woman whipped around, and then dropped her bow, dropping to a knee and taking the little girl that had come from the snow in her arms.

“Mon rêve!” She cried, taking the little one in her arms. “What's wrong?”

“Auntie Josie's here!” She cried out in mirth, kissing her mother on the cheek. “She told me to come get you, and I thought you would be proud of me if I came out here.”

And in that moment, Cantis' heart broke, his finger slipping from the trigger. It didn't matter what it would cost the world, there was nothing in the whole of the world worth enough to make him kill a mother, especially in front of her child. Let her catch him, let their whole plans go awry. Nothing in the world.

While they were distracted, he bolted from his hiding place and into the cover of the blizzard, past the Left Hand of the Divine and her daughter.

* * *

 

"Boy, up here." Samson called, and Cantis looked up, the Red Templar master standing over him on a cliff of ice. Putting one foot on a break in the ice and one arm in the air, Cantis was lifted up by his mentor.

The temple was right in front of them now, and it was massive, bigger than any castle Cantis had ever seen in his time. It had once been a mausoleum to the prophet Andraste, and now was a symbol of hope and prosperity to her heirs. Despite not believing her to be anyone other than a proponent of peace, Cantis felt a pang of guilt over having such a sacred site to so many people be the assassination of their leader.

"Did you get seen?" Samson asked as Cantis claimed up beside him, leading him to a long abandoned side entrance into the temple.

"Yeah." Cantis answered, slinging the crossbow over his shoulder and following the Templar inside. "There were Qunari guardsmen watching the side, and they saw me. Didn't make it out to tell anyone though."

"What about the Left Hand? I saw her go out that way before you came along." Samson asked, but was only met by a raised eyebrow. "Tall woman, red hair, dressed in leathers and scale?"

"Oh!" He nodded. "Right. I saw her, but she didn't see me. Managed to slip past her, she won't find anything left of the Qunari either."

"Right."Samson nodded, leading him into a side hall of the Temple. "Alright, I found out that there's a woman guarding the Divine, her Right Hand by the name of Cassandra. I sent a message down to some of my old friends from the Templars, so here's hoping that this can distract her."

Moments later, shouts cut through the musky silence of the old temple. As if having waited for that moment, an explosion sounded on the other end of the Temple, the sound of a mage's fireball cutting through the air. Shrieks came from all around, and drawn steel filled the air.

The door Samson was waiting outside of was flung open, and a woman dressed in armour with short, dark hair and scars across her face went dashing out of the room, sword and shield drawn.

"They'll think that it's the Mages and Templars fighting." Samson explained, motioning inside the room. "Listen, this is going to be the most prolific thing to happen since the explosion in Kirkwall, and whoever does this is going to be the target of a manhunt for years.” Canti snodded, eyes locked deep on Samson. “I'll do it. You just stay outside here, and let me know if anyone's coming, alright?"

Cantis sighed in relief and nodded, unshouldering his crossbow. He had been dreading having to do the Divine in, and it seemed that Samson had picked up on that fact. What a true friend he had, that would subject himself to the possibility of being hunted for years to come simply to protect Cantis from the same.

But time began to drag after Samson disappeared into the room where the Divine awaited. An act that should have taken mere seconds became several minutes, then a dozen, until twenty minutes had passed since the mentor had gone. Cantis fidgeted, nervously rubbing a finger along the rail of his weapon. What was taking him so long?

The sounds of fighting from the other side of the Temple died down. Whatever distraction Samson had organized to keep attention from him and Cantis had been broken up, and soon people would be coming back.

Sure enough, soon a tiny elven woman carrying a box came down the hallway, walking straight towards the room Cantis held guard over. He considered pulling the bolt for a moment, but shook his head. She was just a small woman who hadn't done anything. Whatever he did, he wasn't a monster and wouldn't just shoot a passer-by if the need wasn't there. He turned and tailed into the room.

What he saw next made his jaw drop in shock.

Divine Justinia stood in the middle of the room, feet bound by a glowing magic and screaming, the sound somehow silenced by the walls which were also glowing red, a crystal formation of Red Lyrium sprouting out from the across the corners and creeping into the middle. In front of her stood Samson, holding a golden orb that shone green from the nicks and edges on it's surface.

“What the-” He stammered, lowering his crossbow in shock. “Samson, what's going on here?” What in the hell was he doing? They had come here to kill her and stop her from manipulating the war further. What was this?

He stepped closer, but before Samson could say anything the door opened behind them. Whipping around, he saw the elven servant woman standing there, jaw dropping alongside the box in her hands, crashing onto the ground at her feet. Her mouth simply hung open, unable to form any words.

Moving in a blur, Samson ripped the crossbow from Cantis' hands and fired it at her, the bolt piercing through her head and out the back of her skull. She feel beside the box she had dropped, silent and without a word. Cantis gasped, putting a hand over his mouth at the macabre display made of the innocent woman's head when the bolt was inside it.

While they were turned, Justinia lunged forward and knocked the Orb from Samson's hand, sending it flying right towards Cantis' head. Whipping around, he caught it in his left hand on reflex, screaming in agony as the blazing hot ball touched his hand. He jumped back, screaming in agony and turning his hand over, the orb fused to his hand. Maker above, what the hell-

“Cantis!” Samson screamed, diving for him, first instinct to protect the other Templar. A moment later, the world exploded.


	4. Reign of Chaos

Cantis awoke in a haze, the whole world bleary as a hanging was in his ears. He was on his back, being dragged by two arms around his shoulders.

"Hang on, boy." A voice, vaguely familiar, rang in his ears as if from forever away from him. "I got you."

The world blurred, and fell dark once more.

When he awoke, he was laying in front of a fire pit with Samson sitting opposite him.

"Easy there." Samson held up a hand to stop him from standing too soon. "Shit, I can't believe you're still alive, boy. I thought we'd lost you."

There was an emotional edge to his voice, rough and raw that made Cantis' heart ache a little. What had happened? What made Samson worry about him so?

Before he could say anything, Cantis screamed out in agony as his hand felt like it had lit itself on fire, ripping itself apart from the inside out. Samson rushed over, pushing him back down and laying his own hand on Cantis', putting pressure on it until the pain slowly faded away.

"Shit." He whispered. "Boy, we've got to get you out of here, and fast."

Cantis looked down at his hand. There was an intricate mark there that hadn't been before, a dot with a half circle around it. It glowed a faint green with the pain, slowly fading into little mor than black lines as the pain died.

"What is this?" Cantis whispered in utter fear and horror. "This is the same hand that caught... that orb thing you were holding, whatever the hell that was. Samson, what the hell's going on?"

Samson sighed and nodded, helping Cantis to his feet nad firmly putting a hand on either of Cantis' shoulders, looking him dead in the eye.

"Look boy:" He said with adamance in his voice. "I can explain everything to you, I can. But we're not safe here. If we get out of here, find our way back to safety, I'll tell you everything. Alright?"

Cantis took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright." He was worried, a pit of utter dread sinking deep into his chest. But Samson was right. Whatever had happened, surely someone was looking for them right now.

"Wait." Cantis said as Samson turned away, and the Templar looked over at him curiously. "Did we... did we succeed? Is Justinia dead?"

Samson gave a weak, weary smile. "Look for yourself." Then he pointed behind Cantis, and what he saw filled him with dread.

Behind him, the Temple of Sacred Ashes was completely destroyed, crumbled into an ashen ruin. Above it was a hole in the very sky itself, glowing in an unnatural green, swirling mass.

"Did we do that?" Cantis whispered, his voice quiet and horrified. Samson nodded silently. "There was hundreds of people in there."

"Thousands." Samson nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Cantis. But it's over now. Welcome to the new world."

* * *

 

"Momma!" Grace shouted above the screams of hysterical crowds running from the explosion. "Momma, where are you?!"

Leliana pushed several people aside in a hysterical panic, some to the ground, to reach her daughter.

"I got you, sweetheart." She whispered into Grace's ear as she picked her up, the world burning around them. "Don't let go of momma. I got you."

"What's happening?" She cried, sobbing. "Why is it so loud? Can we go back inside?"

Leliana's heart broke at her daughter's words, but she had to shake her head. Whatever that explosion had been had consumed the temple, and nowhere but her mother's arms would be a safe place for a child right now.

"Not yet, sweetie." She whispered desperately. "I know it's hard for you, but inside isn't safe right now." Looking around, she realized how everything was on fire, buildings and people. It was chaos, and she buried Grace's head in her shirt so that her child wouldn't see such cruelty in the world. "Don't look around, darling. Just look at momma. Everything's going to be fine. Just look at momma."

Maker Above, what was happening? What had happened? She had been outside with Grace, was being guided through the snow passes to find Josie, and then...

Justinia was still inside. Oh god, whatever had happened had destroyed the Temple, and her alongside it. And Cassandra was with her too.

They were alone.

In the sea of shining armour and coloured robes fleeing from the temple, she saw a glimmer of a golden dress, a woman desperately holding her arms above the crowd to signal for her. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, pushing aside all in her way while keeping her daughter's head on her shoulder.

"Everything's going to be alright." She could barely hear her own voice above the clamourer of the crowd, but all that mattered was that Grace heard it.

" **Leliana**!" Josephine shouted above the noise, motioning. Leliana pushed through the crowds to her friend, moving her head close so she could hear Josie above the noise.

"Josie!" She almost smiled for a moment, a familiar face in the chaos. "What are you doing?"

"Cassandra told me to find you!" She explained, yelling over the crowd, breathing frantically and talking fast. "Come on, we have to get out of this crowd before we get trampled to death!"

"Cassandra's alive?!" Leliana shouted, and Josephine nodded. She opened her mouth to ask more, but then closed it again and nodded at Josie. She had to get Grace to safety. That was the most important thing right now. Cassandra stood out, she would've been easy to spot even in the swarm of the crowd. She wouldn't be in the trampling mob, and that was good enough for her.

They pushed their way through the crowd, Leliana far more aggressively than Josephine, and soon found their way out the back. Not too much farther ahead was a forward camp where several guards were attempting to maintain order, and Cassandra was guiding them, trying to keep the hysterical people in some semblance of sanity. Something she could testify to the failure of.

"Cassandra." Leliana gasped for air, out of breath. Her voice was still loud, had to calm it before she could speak again. "Cassandra, what's happened?"

"I don't know." She shook her head with a sorrowful expression. "Someone... something happened, destroyed the Temple. I don't know what happened, but we have to try and reestablish order."

Leliana took a moment for her breath, Grace still buried in her shoulder, a thousand thoughts running through her mind. Finally she decided what to say. "Where's Justinia?"

Cassandra looked down, hanging her head. "She... was still inside when that explosion went off."

"Maker's Breath." Leliana sighed, hanging her head. Realizing that such a conversation wasn't for a child's ears, she set Grace down and told her to go talk with Josephine, promising she would only be a minute while they talked. "Where were you? How did you survive?"

Cassandra sighed and rubbed her brow in concentration, trying to puzzle everything out. "I... there was fighting, explosions, on the other side of the Temple. Justinia sent me to investigate, turns out it was a riot between the Mages and Templars. I broke it up with some of the other guardsmen, and we brought them out here until we got further orders. I sent one of my people back to Justinia, but they never came back. While we were waiting on word on what to do, this... happened."

"Andraste." She whispered, shaking her head. "Then... Justinia... she's..."

"I'm sorry, Leliana." Cassandra's voice was rough and tired. "I... who could have done such a thing? Why?"

Leliana ndoded and raised her head again, meeting Cassandra dead in the eyes. "I don't know. But whoever they are, we are going to find them. And we are going to enact justice for what happened here."

Cassandra nodded emphatically. "Gladly." She turned and pointed to the hillside that led to the Temple. "Our men saw two figures go that way. Neither was dressed as a Mage or Templar, and they were covered in ash and blood. I don't think I have to say what I think. I've sent several men after them, but none have come back yet."

"I'll find them." Leliana promised, shifting the bow slung across her back. "Stay here. See what you can do about restoring order among these people, and get Gracie inside if you can." Cassandra nodded and turned away, barking orders at her men.

"Sweetie," Leliana knelt down beside Grace, who had terror in her wide, dark eyes. It broke her heart every moment she thought of her daughter, and the misery that she must be suffering, and having her mother leave her at such an awful time would only make it worse. But she was a strong girl, and they needed to follow this trail before it went cold. "Momma has to investigate something, and I need you to stay here with Aunt Josie. Okay?"

"No!" Grace cried, wrapping her arms around her mother. "Please don't go momma. I'll be good, I promise. Don't leave me."

Leliana shook her head, wrapping her arms around her daughter as tears swept down her cheeks. "I know it hurts. But I'll only be a minute, I promise. You're momma's special girl, and I need to know that you'll be okay while I'm gone."

Grace cried, shaking hard, and Leliana's whole body ached. "I'm so scared, momma."

Leliana pulled back from her daughter's embrace, clapping a hand on either shoulder and meeting her daughter's weeping eyes with her own. "I know." She whispered in a raw, emotional voice. "But I want you to know how to be strong, even when you're scared. Because I want you to live, because I need you to be strong enough to do great things in your life. I'll only be a minute, I promise."

Grace took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, momma. C-come back, soon, okay?"

"I will sweetheart." She nodded, giving her daughter one last squeeze of a hug before standing up again. "Josie, watch her while I'm gone." Josephine nodded sadly, and Leliana turned to walk away.

Whoever had caused so much misery was going to pay. Dearly.

* * *

 

The world was swirling as Cantis numbly followed Samson. Looking around, seeing these people scared and desperate, having seen people injured from the explosion, trampled to death under the frenzy of the crowds... Had they done this? That orb, was it somehow responsible for the explosion? Samson had said they were here to kill Justinia, not thousands of innocents.

His heart felt heavy and fast, his eyes heavy. So much pain and chaos around them, not to mention the sheer number of casualties. But whenever he opened his mouth to ask more of Samson, the other Red Templar would quiet him, insisting that now wasn't the time for explaining anything. But that did little to quell his dawning fears, realizing the enormity of what they had done.

"Hold up." Samson held up a hand and Cantis stopped, a blank expression as he found himself in a numb haze.

As they stopped and turned, Cantis realized that there were people behind them, maybe two dozen soldiers all armed with crossbows and arming swords at their waists. Several of them were horrifically burned, others having broken limbs and bloody injuries. All wore the Chantry's sunburst on their chest, all soldiers who had been under the command of the Divine.

"We've been sent to detain you." The lead soldier explained, stepping forward with a hand on his sword. "The Left and Right hands of the Divine have reason to believe you may have seen something pertaining to the explosion."

The Left Hand of the Divine. That redhaired woman he had evaded on the mountaintop, the mother who he couldn't kill. Maker's Breath, she and her daughter would have been caught in the explosion, wouldn't they? And how many other fathers and mothers, husbands and wives... children... how many of them had died for what he and Samson had done? How many people were at the Conclave? Five thousand? Twice that?

"This has to be some kind of mistake." Samson insisted, holding up his hands in a mock gesture of surprise and a hint of outrage. "We were among the crowds of Templars when we saw the Temple explode. We ran just like everyone else. We didn't see anything."

"Then why are you out here, alone, and not with the rest of the Templars?" The man asked, raising his eyebrows and folding his arms.

Samson shrugged. "I guess we just ran faster than everyone else. I don't know, the whole world's on fucking fire right now, I didn't pay attention to where everyone else ran. Maybe they all went to the Lord Seeker and we went the wrong way."

The soldier shook his head. "Look, I'm sure you're telling the truth, but I have orders to bring you back to the forward camp. I'm sure Lady Cassandra will let you go after you tell her your story. And it's probably safer for you if you come with me in any case."

Realizing he couldn't talk his way out of this one, Samson lunge forward and let loose a massive wave of Red Lyrium power, instantly disintegrating the soldier he had been talking to, killing several others and knocking the rest from their feet. He whipped around and looked Cantis dead in the eyes.

"Run!"

Cantis did as he was ordered, the world ringing in his ears as he did. But as the pair ran, so did the soldiers, retreating away from the horrific monster who had decimated their numbers in a mere moment.

Soon their carriage came into sight, four horses at the front ready to pull it away, and Suledin at the reigns, ready to escape.

But as they reached within a few metres of it, Cantis turned around and stopped Samson dead in his tracks. His heart was pounding in his ears now, guilt having run it's course to a breaking point. He needed to hear it, he needed to understand. To hell with where they were, he needed to answers right now.

"What the hell happened back there?" He asked, voice raw with emotion. "What did we do?"

"Cantis," Samson sighed, his voice moulded and weary. "Look, this isn't the time. I'll-"

"No." He shook his head, voice adamant. "I want an explanation. Now. What did we do? A giant explosion, thousands dead, the world in chaos. Was that us? Was that your damned orb?" Now his voice was angry, bitter over what he had been made to do, and it insisted on answers.

Samson sighed again, looking around. More would be here soon, but they had a minute of peace and Cantis wasn't letting this go. "Yes. That orb caused this. I brought you here to do this, not kill Justinia. I'm sorry I lied, but I only did it for the best of reasons, I promise you. I can't explain it to you in a way that you'll understand, but I have people for you to meet, things for you to see, that will make you understand why we had to do such a thing."

"You meant for this to happen?!" Cantis shouted, almost in tears at the enormity of his actions. This wasn't what it was meant to be. He was meant to protect innocent people, to be the man his daughter would've been proud of, to build a world where people didn't have to live in fear. Not to be the thing that they feared. "You made me slaughter innocents!"

"I left you outside." Samson shook his head derisively. "I didn't make you do anything. I asked for your help to get to that point, and you agreed. It was all going to be on my hands, until you ruined it."

"So what, I was just meant to die in the explosion?" Cantis was in disbelief. Samson had never done such a thing before, always come off as so trustworthy and good hearted. Not a cold hearted snake like this. "You were just going to murder me with the rest of them? Come back, tell Liam that shit happens?"

"Cantis," He pleaded. "Please, don't judge yet. Come back with me, I can meet you with people and show you what made me do such a thing. We failed. This isn't what was supposed to happen, you catching the orb changed everything. But I think we can still make things right."

" **No**!" Cantis screamed, in tears. "Who are you to decide what place we destroy next?! Who will you decide to butcher next?"

Samson opened his mouth to shout back, but was hit in the chestplate by an arrow loosed at him. Looking up in shock, they saw the soldiers they had fought before on a ridge above them, now led by the Left Hand, a bow in her hands. They were armed for range, and none of the Red Templars could fight them like this. Samson had the crossbow he had taken from Cantis, but that wouldn't be enough to fight off all of them before being killed themselves.

He turned and sprinted for the carriage, but Cantis just stood there, immobile. The Left Hand was alive. But what of her daughter? What of that adorable little girl who had been with her? How many lives had he taken? Whatever blame could be pinned on Samson, whatever the had happened, the truth was that it was his hand who had massacred thousands. Even from here he could see terror and sadness in the woman's face.

He had destroyed the world.

"Cantis!" Samson shouted from the carriage. "Come on! Now, boy!"

But Cantis didn't move. He only closed his eyes and raised his hands in surrender of the fate and punishment that these mourners had come to extract. Someone had to make amends.

"Cantis!"

The people didn't shoot at him with his arms raised, instead tar getting the armed Red Templars in the carriage. Samson swore, realizing that several were moving closer, and would soon be within range of the horses. They had to go. Now.

But he also couldn't let them take Cantis prisoner. He knew what the Chantry did to their prisoners, and if he told them any of the secrets of the Red Templars…

Samson sighed and made his decision. He stood and aimed his crossbow at Cantis and fired at him out of mercy and fear. The bolt pierced through his back and through his lung, cutting his breath from his body. Cantis gasped once and fell. He never felt the snow meet his face, only the cold.


	5. End Times

Cantis awoke in a blur of numbness, much like he had after the explosion of the Temple. He tried to sit up, but as soon as he did he fell back down, screaming in agony. His whole body was as if it were on fire, his hand in the same agony it had been since the explosion, and his entire side in torturous pain from where Samson had shot him with the crossbow.

Samson. He had been betrayed, shot through the back to stop him from surrendering to the people who needed justice. How bitter the word sounded in his head: Samson, the killer, the traitor. The mentor that Cantis had trusted, and who had led him to kill thousands. What could that orb do that was worth such a sacrifice? It didn't matter. If it brought salvation to the world and all men to the heavens, nothing was worth the sacrifice that they had forced upon those people. He was here to end pain and misery, to stop an all-consuming war. Not to join them.

Bearing to move his head, he saw where he was, in a small jail cell with his hands bound by chains. There were two heavily armed guardsmen who saw him, one turning to leave whole the other remained to watch over him.

Why wasn't he dead? He had given up to those people expecting to be killed, to make amends for what Samson had forced him to do that way. But he was still alive, they would have had to save his life from the wounds Samson gave him. Likely questioning, followed by execution.

Cantis sighed and silently begging for Liam's forgiveness. He hoped that Samson would lie to him, tell Liam that Cantis had died in the explosion. His husband didn't deserve the misery of knowing what Cantis had done. It was best to let him have only grief, instead of also anger and resentment. But even thinking of how much pain it would bring the love of his life, he couldn't bring himself to follow Samson simply to see Liam again. Nothing could override the sense of guilt and sorrow in his heart, not even love.

A moment later the doors opened and the two women from before, the Right and Left Hands of the Divine, entered the room, armed to the teeth. Cantis simply looked up, unable to move the rest of his body still.

"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you right now." Cassandra insisted, both of them sitting in chairs just outside of his cell.

"I don't have one." Cantis admitted, shrugging. "Go ahead." It wasn't as if the life of a mass murderer could be salvaged, that he could do any good in the world after doing so much ill.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation." Leliana said slowly, venom in her voice as she spoke.

"I understand perfectly well." Cantis murmured. "I killed those people, thousands of innocents, and now I think I deserve to die for it."

"So you admit that you killed them?" Cantis nodded. "Why?"

Cantis sighed again, sitting up a little. "It's a long story."

Cassandra sat forward, steel in her eyes. "I have time. Start talking."

Cantis nodded, sitting up as far as his body would allow him. "Alright. Let's see, where to begin. My name is Cantis Trevelyan. I'm a former soldier and a farmer from Ostwick, married to a man named Liam Trevelyan. When the war broke out, my farm was destroyed in the fighting, my... most of my family killed. In the chaos and our grief, we were approached by a man named Raleigh Samson. He told us that he was organizing people to oppose the war by whatever means necessary, and he was looking for strong, skilled men such as ourselves. We were both war heroes of the Fifth Blight, so he knew we could help. Knowing how devastating the war was, we both agreed to help him."

Cassandra turned to Leliana. "Do you know anything about this Samson?"

Leliana paused a moment, thinking behind inscrutable eyes. "I think he was a former Templar from Kirkwall." She said at last. "We'll ask Cullen later. Continue... Trevelyan."

Cantis nodded. "Right. We were introduced to the rest of the upper echelon of the group, called the Red Templars. I understand that there was a lot of us in separate cells, but I only ever met a few people. There was myself, Liam, Samson, a Dalish woman named Suldedin, an Orlesian Chevalier named Louis, and a Qunari name who called themself Tyrant. We worked together to stop several conflicts, going into battlefields to stop the Mages and Templars, evacuate the innocents caught in their way, things like that. Eventually though, it also started getting... I don't know what you would call it. Cult esque? Samson began giving us this kind of Lyrium that was Red, make us... ingest it. It began to make us sick, but also make us stronger and more powerful as we took more. He told us that it was for our own protection, given how we were fighting a war against two other armies far larger than our own. I never took most of hte stuff, only portions of what the others took, but I felt it too."

His words were numb, almost mechanical. There was no emotion left in it anymore, as if he were a cold, dead husk talking.

"Red Lyrium?" Cassandra asked in surprise. "That kind that killed Knight Commander Meredith?"

Cantis shrugged. "I'd heard only stories about her, but I guess it probably is, yeah." She made a continuing motion, and he nodded. "Then one day, maybe a week ago, Samson approached me all on his own. Showed me incriminating evidence against Divine Justinia, things that pegged so many crimes on her and begged with me, pleaded that he had discovered she was prolonging the war for her own power."

"What?" Leliana asked, her voice poisonous. "What could he have shown you to convince you of something like that?"

Cantis sighed, resting his head against the wall behind him. "I'll tell you, it was probably all fake, or a twisted truth. Knowing what I know now, I... I think he manipulated me into thinking exactly what he wanted me to do. But yes, he convinced me that Justinia was prolonging the war so she could sieze power. That she intended for the peace talks to fall apart so that war would last longer. I know that must sound crazy, and it does now, but we were all scared and frightened, just wanting the war to end."

Leliana opened her mouth to protest more, but Cassandra held up a hand. "Continue." Was all she could say.

"So, he brought me here. He told me that we were here to kill Divine Justinia, to assassinate her so she would stop making the war worse. Yes, I know how awful that sounds now, but it made sense then. Just... just listen to the rest of what I have to say. I avoided several guards, including you, and we made our way to Justinia. He left me outside of the room, and told me he would do it so I wouldn't have to. Eventually I went inside after he took so long, and I found her bound by magic and him doing some... ritual on her with magic, holding this golden orb."

"Orb?" Cassandra asked, taken aback. "What was that?"

Cantis shook his head, just as confused as her. "I don't know. I genuinely don't know. He told me we were there to kill Justinia, nothing more. Whatever it was he was doing, I don't know what it was."

Leliana shook her head slowly. "You're lying."

He chuckled and shrugged. "I sure hope not. Look lady, I'm telling you all I remember, all I know. My life means nothing to me anymore, all I want to do is make things right for what we did. What reason could I have to keep these things from you? All I want is to help you make things better, and get a quick death."

Once again, Leliana sat forward, mouth open, but was wrangled back by Cassandra. "Keep talking, and make it fast."

Cantis shrugged. "There's not much more to it. I distracted Samson from whatever the hell it was he was doing, and Jusitnia managed to knock that Orb from his hand. It went flying towards my face, and I caught it on reflex. As soon as I did, the Temple exploded."

"And you have no idea why?" Cassandra asked, and he shook his head. "And then what happened? Where did that mark on your hand come from?"

Cantis shook his head. "I don't know. I woke up and it was there. I don't know how we survived, but we did. Samson wouldn't tell me what we had done, promising to do it when we left this place. But I managed to get a few answers from him, and he confirmed that I caused the explosion when I caught the orb, and that he had tricked me into coming. When your soldiers came, I gave myself up, unable to follow a man who had tricked me, and unable to bear the guilt. He shot me in the back, probably so I wouldn't tell you any of this, and then I woke up here."

"Is that everything?" Cassandra asked, raising her eyebrows. "There's nothing else you can remember?" Cantis shook his head. "Very well. I'm inclined to believe you."

"You what?" Leliana asked, in shock. "Cassandra, this is crazy. He's not telling us anything. He just walked in and saw this, never knew anything else about it?"

Cassandra looked at Leliana with cold, hard eyes. "Leliana, what happened was crazy, we have to expect an insane answer for it. I believe he was just... a pawn in this Samson's game. And whatever is happening, he's not responsible for it. Look at him, he's as scared and horrified as we are. Whatever he is, he's telling the truth."

Leliana opened her mouth to argue, but closed it on her own after a moment, standing up. "We'll decide your fate later." She hissed angrily at him.

"Wait." Cantis sat up a little, and she turned. "Listen, it's... it's no business of mine, but... I saw you have a daughter, she was here. I have to know, did she survive the explosion?"

Leliana narrowed her eyes. "Why?" She hissed, immediately an instinct to protect her daughter. "So you can tell these Red Templars to go after her?"

"No." He shook his head morosely. "I... I can't live with the guilt of knowing that I killed children too, among everything else. I... can't."

Her eyes softened, if only a little. "She's alive." She said at last. "No thanks to you."

* * *

 

Cantis sat alone in his single, lonely cell, cold and utterly dark. He had been given nothing to do for however he had been in here except to toy with his handcuffs. How long had he been down here? Days, surely. Weeks, even? It was impossible to tell without a window. He only knew by the schedules of the men bringing him food, which came once a day, or thereabout. How many meals had there been? Nine, he counted. Nine days since he had been stuck here, alone, waiting, fearing.

The only break from the boredom being a bald elf man coming to inspect his hand, which he gave silently. The elf would occasionally remark on it while he inspected whatever Mark the orb had given him, but would fall silent soon after. Cantis would ask a question of his own, but the elf would not answer, only staring into the glow of the Mark as if it held the answer.

Ten days now, maybe eleven. The door came open again, and a woman he hadn't seen before stepped in. She had olive, tanned skin, with dark hair done up in a bun atop her head. She was dressed finely, clearly not a soldier in her silken dress of gold and her high heels clattering on the stone bricks of the ground.

“You don't look like one of the soldiers.” Cantis muttered, not sitting up from where he lay in the corner of his cell. “Unless they changed the rules of battle while I've been in here.”

She shook her head slowly, regarding him with curious eyes that were dark and wide, not a hint of hostility in her. “I'm not.”

He sighed and sat up a little, meeting her eyes. “Well, I'm afraid I'm not great entertainment at the moment. You would do well to find something else to do besides stare at a dead man.”

She stared at him a moment longer, as if trying to form her whole opinion of him based off of his appearance. Cantis said nothing, only looking away and resting against the wall once more. She would want to see the man who had killed the Divine before leaving. Of course.

“Are you guilty?” She asked after a long period of silence, and he looked up once more. Her eyes were sad and wet, clearly in mourning of someone from the Conclave, maybe even just the Divine herself.

“Are you asking if I did it,” He asked, not moving from where he was sitting against the wall. “Or if I feel guilt? Either way, I don't think the answer means much to anyone.”

“It means something to me.”

Cantis sighed, sitting up and standing. “Yes. Yes, I did it. I destroyed the Conclave, and everyone in it.”

“Why?”

He blinked, almost taken aback by the question. No one had bothered asking that yet. They had asked how, with whom, and if he had done it to kill Justinia. But no one had asked purely why, just jumping to conclusions that he was there to kill Justinia, which was a part of the truth.

Cantis rubbed his eyes, thinking, and met her waiting gaze a moment later. “Well,” He said slowly. “My… friend… promised that we could stop the Mage-Templar war. Promised and swore that she had been prolonging it for her own power, that all she was interested in was her own power.” He looked away, his voice broken along with his spirit. “Trusted him too. But evidently he knew that, and used that.” He stopped a moment before speaking again. “I know it was wrong, looking back. But Samson convinced me, and I trusted him.” He paused again, meeting her eyes seriously. “What would you do if you thought you could stop a war that's coming to kill everyone and everything? Would you give up your morals if you could?” She didn't respond, only meeting Cantis' eyes.

“Do you feel guilty?” She asked, and he looked over, curious who this woman was now. No one else had bothered to ask about _him_ during his time here, only on his actions and of the other Red Templars.

“I'm here, aren't I?”

“Josie!” Another voice yelled from one of the rooms behind her. “Are you out here?” Cantis looked at this woman, who didn't react at all to the new voice, but instead stepped closer to him, laying her hands on the bars to the cell. Closer than anyone else had come besides the elf. She very clearly met his eyes and whispered.

“I believe you.”

I believe you. The words he had been desperately wanting to hear, to believe from himself. That what he had done was real and he had done the right thing.

A moment later, that woman, Leliana, to walked into the room, looking very cross and angry. “There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere.” She looked at Cantis with hatred in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

For a moment, they were silent, and then Cantis sat down again, laying against the wall again. The woman nodded, and then looked to Leliana. “Nothing.” She murmured, and then they left, closing the door behind them.

_I believe you._

* * *

 

Very suddenly, the door was thrown open. Four men, armed to the teeth, checking that he was the only person besides themselves in the room, and then motioned. The two women, Leliana and Cassandra, walked into the room behind him, armed similarly.

“What's going on?” Cantis asked, standing up, much to the discomfort in his chest. He still couldn't breathe using the right lung, the one Samson had hit. Likely wouldn't be able to use it again. He had now been down here some two weeks, and it hadn't gotten better.

“We've debated again and again what we're going to do with you.” Cassandra explained, glancing at Leliana. “And we've come to a decision.”

“Oh?” He sat up further. “Do tell.”

She took a moment to think, taking in a shaky breath before speaking. “We believe that you… you can help us. Solas, the elf who's been looking at your hand… believes that it can be used to close the rifts.”

“Rifts?” He asked, sitting up.

Cassandra shook her head. “It… will be easier to show you. Let's just say that you didn't just make one hole in the sky. And you brought a whole host of demons along with you.”

“Shit.” He swore, looking her in the eyes. “And you think that this… this thing on my hand… it can just close them?”

She shrugged. “We will soon find out. It's our only hope, however… and yours.”

Cantis stood, something that hurt him immeasurably. “Then what are we waiting on? If you think it can help, then let's go.”

She opened the cell and drew her sword, pointing with it to the door. “If you try to run,” She hissed quietly. “You won't make it ten seconds.”

Cantis shrugged. “If I were scared of death, I would've escaped with Samson. More than that, I'm certain I could've escaped on my own if I wanted. I'm here because I want to be.”

“Why would you want to be here?” One of the soldiers asked gruffly, who was promptly silenced with a glare from Cassandra.

“Because I slaughtered innocent, defenceless people. Because I have to believe that there's some kind of justice to the world, and duly punish me, for all the wrong I've done. Because someone must make amends.”


	6. Blaze of Glory

Cassandra unshackled Cantis' hands just before they reached the door, leaving them sore and red where they had been much too tight. Leliana glared disapprovingly, but they both knew that he would need his hand if Solas was correct in what he had said.

She opened her mouth to command him not to run, but then remembered his words and fell silent once more. He was right. If what the soldiers had said was true, that one overwhelmed them in mere moments. And even if it wasn't, this was a man who had evaded dozens of soldiers, including Leliana, and had annihilated an entire company of Qunari soldiers. If he wanted to escape, they wouldn't be able to stop him.

Outside, Cantis winced in pain as his eyes adjusted to natural light, having had nothing more than a torch sconce on the wall for two weeks. But more than that, he gasped in shock and horror.

The hole in the sky was massive. It had been a small thing before, smaller than the Temple it had consumed. Now it was massive, covering the majority of the sky above them, even more terrifying and awe inspiring than before. He froze in place, staring into it in horror. His heart beat faster in his chest, sounding in his ears. He hadn't been outside in weeks, but this… was… Maker's breath. He had done this.

"It grew." He whispered.

Cassandra nodded. "It's been getting a little larger every day. I think it's been growing faster and faster, but we can't tell for sure."

Before he could anything further, a massive ball of green energy fell from it, crashing in the forests like a tear from the sky itself.

"What was that?" He yelled, heart pounding in his chest. "The hell just happened?"

She sighed. "It's been doing that ever since it opened, but there's been more and more of them the last few days. Those fall from the sky, destroying everything it hits, and demons come from the crater.

"Shit." Cantis swore quietly, closing his eyes as even more guilt washed upon him. "What have we done?"

As he stared into the chasm that glared out from whatever hell it had torn to reveal, two men came running towards them. One was the bald elf with a staff slung across his back that had been investigating Cantis' hand. The other was a dwarf with light hair and a crossbow slung across his back.

"Seeker!" The elf shouted, stopping in front of them. "The forward camp's been overrun!"

"What?!" Cassandra shouted in horror, and he nodded. "Maker's tears."

"This the guy everyone's been talking about?" The dwarf asked, and they nodded. "We had better get him up to the temple, and fast. I just hope you're right about that thing on his hand, chuckles."

"You aren't the only one hoping that." Cantis shook his head.

"I am Solas." The elf nodded at Cantis.

"Varric Tethras." The dwarf said in turn, cocking his head to the side as he looked Cantis dead in the eyes. "I don't envy you, kid. From what I've heard, you're knee deep in nug shit."

Cantis chuckled a little. "Not undeservedly." He turned to Cassandra. "If your people are being killed, it sounds like we don't have a lot of time. Lead on."

Cassandra nodded and lead them running into the valley.

* * *

Not halfway to the Temple, Cassandra held up a hand and they all stopped behind her. "What is it?" Cantis breathed, but he didn't have to wait for the answer. In front of them stood demons, mutant, feral beasts standing over bloody bodies of Chantry soldiers, looking to have overrun and butchered the entire camp.

She stood forward, readying her sword and shield as the others around him drew their weapons in turn. "Stay behind me." Cassandra ordered, briefly looking over her shoulder.

"To hell with that!" Cantis shouted. "Give me a weapon." Looking around, he nodded as he confirmed his suspicions. They were encircled, demons hidden in the treeline around them. They couldn't been seen, but he could sense them moving around. Besides Cassandra and two of the guardsmen, none of them had swords. They would be butchered in close combat.

She shook her head vehemently, and he sighed in exasperation. Of course.

The demons bolted forward at them from all sides, and Cassandra went sprinting towards them, the rage of battle beginning. Cantis looked around desperately, noticing a weapons cache near where the demons had been standing, the bodies of soldiers they had undoubtedly overrun laid by it. He looked around, everyone busy fighting for their lives in the furious melee. Nodding as he made a decision, he bolted for it.

Moments before he reached the weapons, he was set upon by a half dozen demons, claws sharp as blades set upon him. Any of the others would have been torn to shreds, but he was trained and disciplined, the rhythm of battle a comfortable feeling.

Moving in a blur, he overpowered and threw two of them to the ground, slipping from another's path and beating it over the head, throwing it as a helpless doll at it's other comrades. Before any could recover, he sprinted and ripped a longsword from the crate of weaponry, silently, apologizing to the fallen soldiers for the theft.

As they fell, he also pulled a shortsword from the ground where a soldier had dropped it. Sprinting throughout the frenzied battle, steel swirled in a deadly path, cutting swaths through the demons. Every movement in the momentum of the last, every attack carrying into the next. More than anything else, anger and guilt fuelled his movements, driving an already seasoned and elite warrior into a whirling motion of destruction, an unforgiving chain of death. Dozens fell, and none struck him back.

Pulling his blade from the final one, having decimated the group as a whole on his own, he turned and nodded at Cassandra, barely breathing harder for his exertion. "I think we got them all. More won't be far behind, but I think it's over for a moment."

She approached, blade held warily towards him. "Drop your weapons. Now."

He sighed. Of course. "Alright." He nodded wearily. "Alright. Have it your way." He had saved them all. But of course, he was still their prisoner.

"Wait." She called reluctantly as he set his blades down, and he glanced up at her. "I... we've shown we can't protect you, and we... we can't expect you to be defenceless."

"Cassandra!" Leliana scolded. "What are you doing?"

Cassandra slumped her shoulders in defeat. "What choice do we have, Leliana? He's our only lead, we'll be back to where we started if he dies, and he's a better fighter than any of us. If we expect to reach the Temple alive, we're going to need to be fighting. All of us."

Leliana narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything further.

The demons must have sensed the presence of the one who could defeat them, and they became even more dangerous when cornered against a wall. Again and again they fell under ambush of the monsters, hundreds of them swarming the survivors, but Cantis led the way with his bloody blades, cutting a swath through their horde.

Cassandra led them to the forward camp, just under the shadow of the mountain that had once housed the temple. They found the few remaining survivors fighting for their lives, utterly under siege. As the demons fell before their party, the survivors were invigorated with a renewed resilience and fought to their last to fend them off, making a push back that they had thought impossible.

As they advanced forward, Cantis gasped as he saw what Cassandra had meant.

Ahead of them was a hole in the sky, a glowing green entryway into the Fade from which Demons streamed. As he approached it, his hand glowed in turn, burning in agony. It knew what this was. Acting on pure instinct, he held his hand up to it's surface, and the mark on the back of it glowed bright. His hand was in agony as a piercing noise sounded in his ears. When the pain became unbearable, the rift closed with a clash of power, and the demons attacking the camp were banished away.

"Maker's breath." Cassandra whispered. "Solas was right."

They sat in awed silence, Cantis flexing his hand. That's what he had meant. That orb had left this here, but why? Why had it created the hole in the sky, only to leave him with the ability to close it?

"Cassandra!" A man called, and she turned to see Knight Commander Cullen walking towards her, covered in blood, a broken blade in his hand. "Thank the Maker you showed up when you did."

"Cullen!" She smiled a little in relief. "I didn't think any of you would still be alive down here."

He shrugged. "Neither did I. But these are some tough men." He turned a curious eye to Cantis. "So this is him, hm?" Cantis nodded. "I hope they're right about you."

Cantis chuckled darkly. "You're not the only one hoping that. Trust me."

Cullen turned to Cassandra. "In any case, I don't think we can get back up to the Temple, Seeker. This was but a fraction of the resistance we've faced."

"What else can we do?" Cassandra sighed. "We don't have another way to close it."

"I know." He sighed in turn. "But we'll never make it up there. We should pull back and send a messenger to the Ferelden army."

"That will take weeks!" She cried out, desperate.

"We'll be dead in hours." Cullen shook his head. "At least this way we can keep our lives."

Cantis grunted, his hand glowing again as the Breach in the sky grew, demons falling from it and onto new camps. Above the walls, the darkening sky was awash with sheets of green light. No help was coming, not in time.

It was madness, and he knew that if they didn't make it there now, no one was going to. Something deep in him told him that he could do it, that this was what he was meant to do. How he was supposed to amend for what he had done. "Cassandra," He called, and she turned. "I'll do it. Give me a chance. I'll lead us up there."

Cullen beside her laughed in disbelief. "You? Half of these men want to kill you themselves, let alone follow you."

Cantis could see the disbelief on their faces, but he only nodded with determination in his heart. "Me. I led the Ostwick armed forces for years, I've beaten back the armies of the Mages and Templars by myself, I survived that explosion. I'm not going to live long enough for a trial, or for your armies to arrive. But we can take back the Temple, I know it." They still stared in disbelief, but Cassandra alone nodded, her faith telling her that this was the right path.

"Form up!" She shouted to the soldiers, and they obeyed. "We follow the prisoner into battle."

Only a handful had responded to the command, no more than ten. Others looked at Cassandra as if she had gone mad, others still laughed. He looked contemptuously at the others, heart pounding in his ears. "I don't know what you all think of me," he said. "But I've enough courage to keep fighting. What does that say about you?"

That shamed them well enough. A massive man unshouldered his axe and joined them. Then a pair of sellswords. Then more. In a few moments the size of Cantis' command had doubled, then doubled again. He had them trapped. If he fought, they must do the same, or they are less than the man they hated.

"I don't know what you think of me, I can only imagine. I've done wrong, I know that. And I await being judged after this is over. But we can close that hole in the sky, and end this madness here and now, but only if we work together. I won't live long enough for reinforcements to arrive, none of us will. No help is coming, not before half the fucking world is dead. We can fight them, together. If we work all as one. Don't fight for your queen, or empress, or Maker, or whoever, and don't fight for their kingdoms. Don't fight for honour, don't fight for glory. Don't fight for riches, because you won't get any. Stand with me because these are our homes that are threatened by these demons. This is your world that they ripping a gate way into, and if they gets in, it will be your homes that burn, your gold they steal, your women they will rape. I'm asking you to think about your families, your wives and children. They'll never have children of their own if we don't band together. If we don't stop them now, Ferelden won't stop them, the Orlais' won't stop them, all the Kings and countries in Thedas won't be able to stop them. But we can, here and now. Together. All of us."

The men cheered, a new feeling of resistance growing in them. Every word he spoke was true, and they were filled with valour, ready to fight back. A collective call resonated through them, one that Cantis echoed, and then he turned, charging towards the Temple with the dozens of men following suit.

The demons heard their challenge, and their resolve to fight shivered and wilted when faced with the courage of the men led by the Red Templar. They fought desperately, but Cantis led the way through their defences. Inspired, they broke through the enemy lines, many of them running in terror as retribution came for their assault on the Chantries armies and faithful. There were only a few dozen soldiers, but they were rallied against an enemy with a broken spirit, bringing steel upon them as if they were without number.

Blood and fire coated the snow, but the enemy was driven back, turning tail and running like rats. For the ferocity of their will, it was broken like it were paper. Cassandra watched in something of awe at his leadership in rallying defeated men, how he had turned their militia of lightly trained men into a fighting force, ready to drive the enemy back from their home.

Reaching the remains of the Temple, Cantis' heart sank in his chest in utter horror. There was nothing left of it. A wonder of architecture, a monument to faith and hope… turned to dust and ashes. His heart pounded in his ears as the fighting died down, the demons driven back and giving him way to the hole in the sky.

It had become a monument to his sins.

"Let's try it on the big one." Varric said quietly, nodding, fiddling with his crossbow. "This place makes my skin crawl, we'll… uh, we'll go watch for more demons or… something." He swallowed hard, taking a long look at Red Lyrium that was growing from the explosion point of the Breach before turning back.

"How do I even get up there?" Cantis whispered, craning his head up to the sky to see the ripped in reality that it marked.

"Think smaller." Solas smiled mirthlessly, looking at a rift in front of their eyes, just above the growth of Lyrium. "This rift was the first, and it should at least keep the Breach from growing any further."

Cantis held his hand up and repeated as before, but it hurt far worse. His whole body was in agony, falling to his knees. The world was on fire, burning heat coming from everywhere, his head getting lighter and lighter by the moment. As the world faded further, the pain lessening as he couldn't stand anymore, the rift exploded, and the world fell into darkness.


	7. Bound in Blood

_Walking out to find Liam and Abigail playing in the field. He's sitting in a chair while watching her, reading the book he got for his nameday. He looks up and smiles lovingly, a halo of golden sun shining over his fiery hair._

_Kneeling beside Abigail, that sweet little girl playing in the mud with her little construction tools. Calling her name, she turns and smiles up at daddy, her blonde hair and coveralls coated in mud._

" _Daddy has to go to town." The voice is his, but it also isn't his. A happier, livelier him. Back when the world made sense. In another time. "I'm going to go talk to that lady about getting your horsie while I'm there."_

" _Horsie!" She smiles, sitting up with her face beaming, and his heart grows just a little. "Thank you so much daddy! I'll take care of her every day, wake up when the cock crows just to feed her, I promise."_

" _It sounds like she'll be well loved." He holds out his arms, smiling as wide as her for having brought about such happiness. "How about a hug before I go?"_

_She holds her hands up to show him. "My hands are all muddy. I'd get your nice jacket all dirty." He gives a low chuckle, looking down at the leather field jerkin he's wearing._

" _Jackets are made for getting dirty."_

_She laughs and gives him a hug, smearing mud all over him as she does. "I messed it all up." She says as she pulls back a moment later, sounding genuinely sorry._

" _You just made it better."_

* * *

Cantis awoke with a start, sweat on his brows as he woke with a heart pounding in panic. What th-

Then it comes back to him in a rush. Memories of a kinder, more innocent world. Days when he could aspire to just be a husband and father, to live on his farm with his family. Before war, before death came for everyone and everything.

In days gone by.

A moment later the door was thrown open, and a woman walked in, a tiny, meek little elf girl that painfully reminded him of the one Samson had murdered in the Temple. Her eyes widened when she saw he was awake, dropping what she held in her hands and falling to her knees.

"I didn't know you were awake, I swear!" She stammered, a sob on the cusp of your voice. He sat up, breathing hard, not knowing what had distressed her so.

"It's alright." He said softly, making her look up at him with shaking hands. "You didn't do anything wrong. Where are we?"

"Haven, milord." She stood, hurriedly turning her head over her shoulder. "L-lady Cassandra said I should go tell her when you awoke. At once, she said.

Cantis nodded, standing. He was out of his armour, now in the simple leather clothes he had worn underneath. "And where is Cassandra?"

"In the Chantry." She nodded repeatedly, fearful of him. "A-a-at once, she said."

He nodded and exited. As he did, he drew a gasp from the people on the streets, people hurriedly moving out of the road to clear space for him. Whispers broke out like a wildfire in the crowds. Among them _traitor, murderer, assassin_. But, strangely, there were others too. _Herald, saviour… hero_.

"That's him." One whispered to another. "He stopped the Breach from getting any bigger."

Looking up, his heart fell heavy with sadness as he realized the boy was right. The hole in the sky was no larger than before, but yet it remained hanging in the sky. He hadn't closed it. Merely halted it, calmed it's wrath.

In the Chantry there was yelling from the main room. Stopping outside of the door a moment to listen, he heard a man's voice, arguing with Cassandra and Leliana.

"This is insanity!" The voice called, barely muffled by the door. "I want him in Val Royeaux before sundown, the Divine must be the one to judge him!"

"Justinia is dead!" Cassandra yelled back. "There is no Divine, and as far as I'm concerned, there is no Chantry. We must deal with reality."

"Then he must be taken to the Gulag until a new Divine can be elected as a successor!" He shouted.

"Oh yes." Leliana sneered angrily. "We should just ignore the massive hole in reality hanging over our heads as we speak, and the ones who caused it, so we can have a petty revenge on a penitent man."

"One ones responsible?" He shouted in disbelief. "The one responsible is him!"

"And we should simply ignore the list of names that he gave us, the organizations he worked with?" Cassandra sounded exasperated, as if this had been on for hours. "Yes, let us indefinitely imprison the only person who knows the first thing about any of this. Truly you are the pinnacle of wisdom, Roderick. Please, tell how that is going to solve anything. Unless, of course, you intend to bury your head in the sane and pretend that the world isn't at war."

Deciding that there wasn't going to be a more positive note to walk in on, Cantis opened the door and strode in. Inside was Cassandra and Leliana standing over a table with Maps of Ferelden and Orlais on it. Across from them stood a man in Chantry robes, apparently this Roderick.

"Chain him!" The man shouted. "I want him prepared to travel back to Val Royeaux!"

Cassandra looked at Cantis, nodded once and turned back. "You have no authority to do that, Roderick. Get out."

"I am the only person with any sort of authority here!" He shouted. "You've no power to keep him!"

Cassandra pulled a book from the table behind him, slamming it down in front of him. "Now that he's here, I do." She put a finger on it, meeting Roderick's eyes dead on. "You know what this is."

Roderick sighed reluctantly. "You walk a dangerous line, Seeker. May you burn in seven hells." He shoved past Cantis and left.

"I guess the Chantry's heard about me." Cantis said slowly. "Sorry about that."

Cassandra sighed, laying her eyes on the book. "Don't worry about it. He's nothing more than a glorified clerk. He shouldn't intimidate us, not when we have work to do."

"What is that?" Cantis asked, pointing at the book that had sent him off so easily.

"A writ." Leliana said quietly. "From Justinia before… before her death. Authorizing us to re-establish the Inquisition."

"The Inquisition?" Cantis raised an eyebrow. That was one of the things Samson had said to convince him of the Chantry's corruption. "Those men who had free reign over all of Thedas, no one to check them?"

Cassandra nodded slowly. "That is… one version. They were founded in a time of chaos, when death and war were the whole of the world. They restored order, using their power beyond all others to bring about peace. They… had a difficult time putting away their swords when they were no longer needed, but they did so much good. They eventually settled down and became the Templars as we know them now."

Cantis nodded slowly. "And you're making them again?"

"Death and war define the world right now." Leliana said grimly. "It seems fitting. We must find the people who did this, these Red Templars, this Samson… and bring them to justice. More than that, we must close the Breach. Permanently."

Again, Cantis nodded. "And where do I fit into this?"

Cassandra and Leliana shared a look, having conversed on this repeatedly. "We… we have realized how much you have helped us so far." Cassandra said slowly. "And that… without you, we wouldn't be here right now. Even without the Mark, it was you that got us to the Temple, you that got out men to rally behind you. In light of this, we… have decided to let you go."

"Let me go?" Cantis asked, amazement dawning on him. "Just… like that? After all the evil I did, all the people I murdered, I can just… go?"

"I hope that you don't." She said. "I… hope that you stay around to help us. We need your help. But… without you, half the world would be on fire right now. You have earned your freedom as far as we're concerned. But I ask that you stay, and help us. Not as a prisoner, but… of your own free will."

For a moment, he remained still in amazed shock, before shaking his head. "I… don't think I have. I don't deserve to be free, after everything I've done. All the ill I've done to the world… no. I'm staying."

They both let out a relieved sigh, Cassandra nodding slowly. "Thank the Maker." Looking over to Leliana, they both nodded. "Then as of right now, I declare the Inquisition… reborn."

* * *

"So, tell me about these people you worked with."

Cantis nodded. He was sitting across from Leliana in a small, dark room that she had made her home for her work for the Inquisition over the last week while they had established themselves.

"Right." He said. "I think I told you their names already. Samson, Louis, Tyrant, Suledin, myself and… and Liam." He took a deep breath and nodded. "I don't know much about Samson. He was the first of us, recruited the rest of the Red Templars. A Templar from Kirkwall, as far as I know. Helped that Hawke Champion back when that was the frontline of the world. Beyond that, I don't know much. Never talked much about himself, barely ever even saw him myself."

"You don't know anything else?" She asked, raising an elegant eyebrow. "Nothing else you can contribute?"

Cantis shook his head sadly. "Sorry. I barely know anything about him. Might want to contact someone from the Templars in Kirkwall, they might know more. The Champion might be your best bet, if you have any idea where in the hell she might be. From what I could tell, he seemed like a good, honest man just trying to stop a war. Saved my family, and seemed to genuinely care about us all. But he lied about Justinia, so I'm not sure how much of that was real."

Leliana made a note before motioning for him to continue.

"Right. Louis was an Orlesian Chevalier. Re-established Andoral's Reach, that place where Andraste lived or something, as a fortress on the frontier. Got invited to the academy for Chevaliers by Gaspard himself, so I guess he impressed someone. He was our inside man in Orlais, giving us information on the Imperial Courts, as well as criminals who he worked with to further his won ends, such as smugglers and mercenaries. I don't think he would be a hard one to follow, he's too many contacts to remain anonymous. He's a pretentious ass, but he seems to care about the people he led, always talking about the safety of the people he was taking care of."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "Suledin is one of those Dalish elves, I think she was a hunter or archer or something. Amazing shot, could hit a deer's eye from a hundred metres out. Her clan abandoned her one day, don't know the details, she never talked about it. Anyway, she wound up in the Denerim Alienage. I don't know if you know, but the Alienage there suffered bad after Anora took the crown. She wound up stealing food and medicine for her fellow elves, but eventually got caught and sentenced to hanging. Samson broke her out, and she was with the Red Templars ever since."

Leliana was scribbling notes as he spoke, eventually looking back up and waiting on him. It hurt a little, to give so much detail on his brothers, but his life wasn't worth anything anymore, what did it matter who he betrayed.

"Tyrant's a pseudonym for a Qunari mage, you know the ones that get their mouths sewn shut? He was one of the mages under the command of that Qunari leader thing who attacked Kirkwall all those years back. From what Samson said, he performed amazingly during the battle, basically managing to slaughter everyone, including Templars, in his way, up until he tried to fight Hawke herself, where he promptly got knocked out by her. The Qunari abandoned their mages in Kirkwall when they turned tail and ran, so he got imprisoned. Since Samson saw how well they preformed, and freed Tyrant. He's super loyal to Samson, don't expect him to turn to us like I did. He doesn't flinch, he doesn't back down, and most anything in his way gets killed. Be careful if we go after him, he's the most dangerous except maybe Samson."

"Right, and last is… Liam. Right. I… saved him from being arrested once, turns out he got arrested when he killed this slave driver who was robbing the people who worked for him, threatening to kill them if they said anything. I saved him and got him into the army, where I had a position of command at the time. We… grew closer, and got married when we left the military. We had a daughter together… Abigail." There were tears in his eyes, but he closed them and continued on. "He followed me when I decided to follow the Red Templars, and they got him right into their ideology, hooked on the Red stuff." He opened his eyes again, looking up at Leliana. "Please, Leliana… he's not a bad man, he's not. If we can, we have to try and convince him to join us, like I did. He's a smart man, a good warrior with a great heart to keep him in check. Please don't kill him if we don't have to."

Leliana didn't say anything for a long time, eyes glossed over in memories of her own lover, one who she had found during a time of war as well. Finally she just whispered. "We'll see what we can do."

"Thank you." He whispered in turn. "He'll… he'll see the truth. I promise. Hell, he might come to seek us out when he finds out what I've done."

"What happened to your daughter?" Leliana asked after a moment.

"Please," He shook his head, not meeting her eyes, a wave of guilt and pain washing over him as old wounds were once again ripped open. "Please don't ask. She's… she's in heaven, now. Let's just leave it at that."

"Of course." She whispered, nodding. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He said, standing. "Now, I should… I think Cassandra needed help with something." And he left in a hurry, having given all the answers he was going to. Leliana sighed and laid back in her chair. He had done so much evil, but… but someone who can love that deeply couldn't be a bad person, surely?

Someone who could be loved like that was worth loving.

Shaking it off, she returned to her work, but not before making a note to tell her own daughter that she loved her.


	8. Rebellion

_Author's Note: So, this is a bit of a jump forward in the game. I figured that detailing hte Hinterlands, Companion recruitment missions, and addressing the Chantry would be exceedingly boring for me to write, and you to read. I'm assuming that anyone reading fanfiction has already played the game, so please excuse the sudden jump in timeline._

* * *

Over the next several weeks, the Inquisition grew.

Between the last remaining Mages of the Circle, the Bull's Chargers mercenary company, several independent groups such as the Friends of Red Jenny, and people by the dozens coming to help them find those responsible for the Breach.

From his room that was little more than a glorified stable, Cantis could hear the blades clashing from the training grounds and castra. Over the sounds of it all, he could hear someone shouting orders out to the troops. _It's not Cullen._ Cantis realized. _He must be in a meeting with the others._

For a moment he wondered if he should go see if they needed help, but was hit by yet another wave of pain. Trying not to scream out in pain, he vomited in a bucket next to the bed of hay he had been sleeping on.

Groaning as black spots swam in front of his eyes, he fell back into the hay, sweating through his shirt and pale as the snow, a faint whisper that only he could hear carrying in on the wind. He hadn't taken as much of the Red Lyrium as the others, but he hadn't had any in weeks, and his body was consuming itself in want of more.

A light, dainty tap came at the door, and he groaned pathetically, sitting up as he called that the door had no lock. It opened slowly, and that nice lady, Josephine, stepped in the threshold.

"Oh!" She covered her mouth as politely as she could, crinkling her nose. "It certainly smells… raw, in here, my lord."

Cantis chuckled, cracking his shoulder as he sat up to meet her. "Yeah, sorry, Lady Montilyet. The, uh… the Red Lyrium isn't kind if you try to stop. I should really ask to borrow some of Madame de Fer's air fresheners, but… yeah, sorry."

Josephine tried to give a smile in spite of the rank smell at honest humour of the Herald. "Erm, well, we are in a meeting in the War Room, and Cassandra has asked for you to join us."

Cantis nodded, stretching and standing. "Right. Give me a minute to make myself presentable and, and I'll head over."

Josephine turned to leave, stopped, and then turned back. "My lord," She called, and he looked over, having grabbed a fresh leather jerkin to wear. "I, erm… I just wanted to say that I am… I am truly sorry for everything you have had to suffer. I… heard that you are married, and that I sincerely hope that your husband joins us too."

Cantis looked at her, mouth half open to say he didn't need her sympathy, but then saw sincerity in her big, dark eyes. He closed his mouth, and simply nodded sadly. She meant well, even if it was something misguided.

Then he turned back to his dresser, straightening his jerkin, and she closed the door behind her.

* * *

"-And the Templars have abandoned their senses, in addition to their capital!" Cantis could hear Leliana shout as he came closer to their makeshift war room, silently swearing to himself. This was how all of their meetings went, all of them pulling in different directions to accomplish the same goal. The Inquisition needed direction, a single movement forward, if they ever wanted to accomplish anything.

He opened the door, and walked to the table, leaning on it. "Andraste." He could hear Cullen chuckle a little in response to his rough appearance. "You know, we can get you a proper bed if yours makes you look like that."

Cantis shook his head. "What I have is fine. It's the Lyrium, stopping all together… it hasn't been easy, to say the least." Cullen just nodded slowly, sadness on his features. "Alright. What are we yelling about this time?"

"Whether we're to approach the Rebel Mages or Rogue Templars for their help in closing the Breach." Leliana explained, leaning back on the wall, looking utterly exhausted from her dual life of spymaster and mother. "Me and Josephine are in favour of contacting the mages, Cassandra and Cullen for the Templars."

"Lord Lucius is not the man I remember." Cassandra shook her head, staring into the features of the map laid out on the table before her as if it held answers. "But we know where they are, and I think they would be our best chance at help."

"I'm not entirely certain what the Templars are even doing." said Leliana. "My reports say they've holed themselves up in Therinfal Redoubt, but everything else I've heard is… odd."

"We must look into it." Cullen insisted. "Even if Lucius is acting off, I'm certain not everyone in the order will follow him. If they could reduce the power of the Breach enough..."

"Or," Josephine suggested with a single raised eyebrow. "We could simply meet with the Mages in Redcliffe. We know where they are, and I'm certain that the Mages there would be… eager for the protection we could offer, to say the least."

"You think the Mages are more united?" Cullen asked in disbelief. "They're bound to be leagues worse."

"Or we could just make a decision, instead of standing around here and complaining that life isn't choosing for us." Cantis said dryly, feeling a tingle of small anger over the politics of all this. He had spent the last several weeks in agony, and here it was that their problems were entirely that they couldn't make a single decision.

"I agree." Cassandra nodded at that. "We can't just stand in fire and complain that it's hot. Whatever we do, we must do it quickly."

"I just don't think we should discount Redcliffe." Josephine said simply, leaning in. "The Mages are powerful, and need help. But yes, we must make a decision, and the Templars could be powerful allies indeed."

"Well, wait." Cantis said, and they all looked to him. "Why do we need to choose one or the other? These are two radically different groups spread across two different countries. If we can sign a deal with both of them, without the other knowing, and entangle them in a web of diplomacy and alliances..."

That made Leliana smile just a little. "That's quite a cunning idea there. I like it."

Cullen shook his head a little. "That sounds ideal, but I'm not sure it would work. These are two groups who despise one another, if they find out that they've been deceived like that… we might find ourselves without any allies at all."

"I think it would work." Josephine said slowly, thinking it through and making several notes on her board that she carried around everywhere. "They aren't stupid. If we can get them into an alliance of some sort, tie their hands with a web of politics, and also convince them to not ignore the massive hole in the sky… I think it could work, actually. We already have several Mages and Templars who have laid their weapons down to join the Inquisition to stop the Breach, and it wouldn't be difficult to convince them to join their brothers and sisters in this endeavour."

Cassandra nodded slowly. "It's would take time, and it's something of a lean plan, but it might be our best chance. It would give us an advantage, providing the Mark with additional power to close the Breach once and for all, in addition to repressing it with the Templars…"

"We're walking a fine line." Cullen warned, wringing his hands. "But this could work, admittedly."

Cantis nodded, thinking it over. "Right. So we get the Mages and the Templars, and use them to help us slam shut the Breach permanently. Then we can turn our attention tot he people who tore it open in the first place. Who do we approach first?"

"I'm not sure how to get into Therinfal." Leliana said, laying a finger over it on the map. "It's a heavily defended fortress, and the Templars have shut off all contact with the outside world, after denouncing the Inquisition of course. I think they can be pressured into at least attempting an alliance, but we need more time to plan how to... convince them of that. But Redcliffe is now an Open City, and the Mages have openly asked for assistance. They would be far easier to meet with."

"Alright." Cantis said, taking a deep breath and readying himself for what was sure to be an adventure going forward. "So we go and meet with the Mages in Redcliffe, get them to help us, then come back here and plan for how we'll talk to the Templars."

"You should go with them." Josephine said, looking at Cantis. "All of this is meaningless without your mark, and many believe that Andraste herself saved you from the Fade. You have a lot of power, and might be enough to ensure this alliance."

"Right." nodded Cantis. _Of course. Send him on every errand we need done. Fitting enough, though. This, all of it, should be viewed as a punishment. A sort of sentence for… for what Samson made me do._

_Maybe there's no redemption for how many innocents we slaughtered that day. But I can at least fix the world we tore to ruin._

* * *

"Ser!" An Inquisition scout called to them as they entered Redcliffe village. He laid a hand on his heart and knelt before the Herald. "We've spread word of the Inquisition's arrival, but you should know that… someone's already in the middle of signing an alliance with them, and they have demanded that you meet with them instead of the Mages."

"Shit." Cantis swore under his breath. "Do you know who they are? Names, titles?" The scout simply shook his head. "Alright. Do you have a place where we can meet with them?"

The scout nodded and had them follow him. Cantis felt a tinge of pain as he looked around on the way there. Redcliffe was crammed pack with refugees from the war, thousands of people crying and begging in the gutters, children sitting in lines of garbage. He looked away, his heart aching. He had done this. These were people who could be safe, back at home, if Justinia hadn't been killed. If he hadn't butchered those people at the Temple.

The scout brought them tot he Tavern, where two armed and armoured men were waiting.

"You're the people who the Mages signed an alliance with?" Cantis asked, and one nodded mutely. "Right. Who are you?"

"Come back with us." One said, ignoring Cantis. "Our invitation to deal with us was for the Herald only, the rest of you will wait out here."

Cantis looked over his shoulder helplessly, and then sighed and followed them into the back. As he did so, they locked the door behind him, and grabbed him by either arm and dragged him along. Cantis' heart pounded in his chest, but he simply sighed. Of course.

They took him into a small room with a single table, a chair on either side, with another figure. The men forcibly sat Cantis down, his seething breath cutting through his chest. Across from him sat Louis, the Orlesian Chevalier of the Red Templars.

"Don't stand up." Louis commanded softly, his voice a hiss in the darkness of the room. "There's three trained arbelists with crossbows aimed right on your head, not to mention me. You'd be dead before you took the first step."

"What do you want?" Cantis hissed, his heart pounding as heat hissed up his neck. "I thought things were pretty clearly over with me and you lot."

"Well, that's just the thing." Louis explained, leaning back in his chair as confidently as possible. "You see, Samson's pretty seething pissed at you, if you'll forgive the expression. You ruined what it was he had planned, and now that thing on your hand is ruining all of our ideas."

"Terribly sorry." Cantis smiled a little, turning back to their old rivalry of trading insults and remarks. If Louis was going to kill him, he may as well go out with a fight of some sort. "Let me just rip off my skin and return that. Provided you can bring back the ten thousand people Samson and I butchered like pigs."

Louis hit him across the face, breaking Cantis' lip in a gash. "One more snark from you, and I'll kill you here and now, hang what Liam wants." Cantis grimaced, but fell silent for the moment. "Good. You see, for whatever reason, Samson told us not to kill you unless we had to. I don't know why, but unlike you, I remember who gives orders around here. Personally, I would just kill you here and now, especially considering that you're here to steal our mages. But I remember. So, I've been told to tell you and your Inquisition this:" He leaned in close, his breath almost touching Cantis. "Drop. The. Trail."

Cantis simply stared back emotionlessly into Louis' eyes. "You know that's not going to happen." He said coldly. "You're a smart man, Louis. You know that we're not just going to stop trying to fix the world because you threatened me."

Louis gave a small chuckle at his bravery. "I know. But Samson doesn't want you dead, for whatever reason. Thinks you're not too far gone, says you aren't a bad person, that he just scared the hell out of you. Liam talks every day about how he hopes that you come back to us, that you'll come to your senses."

"Liam knows?" He asked, his heart aching. Louis nodded, and he rubbed his eyes. _This should hurt more than it does._ He thought. _I love him, damn it. We had a child together. He can't possibly know what I went through, surely Samson lied. And even if he does… someone must make amends for what we did._

"Go home, Cantis." Louis said quietly, leaning forward onto the table. "Go back to your Inquisition, tell them the Mages already signed off, and then go back to your farm."

Cantis stood mutely, and the soldiers led him to the door. "I hope the Maker guides you to the right choice." Louis said before they reached the door, and Cantis turned at that.

"If your Maker saw what me and Samson did that day," He seethed. "He didn't seem to care. Your Maker didn't make the world this way. Men did. And it's going to be men that set it right."


	9. Interim

_Author's Note: So I've been havinga bit of the crisis lately, as anyone who has ready Faith From Ashes knows pretty damn well. Most of my projects are going to be on hold or cancelled entirely, but this one will at least survive due to the enthusiasm of Aeowyn99 (Go give her stories some love, she deserves it). Let me know if you read FFA and want it to keep going, that's the one that's on the edge of cut or contiuned._

_And because I feel like it doesn't come across well: Cantis is supposed to have an Irish accent, unlike either of the two voice sets in the original game (Would have killed for a Scottish/Irish voice set). So, keep that in mind if you like to read lines in the voice of the characters._

* * *

 

"What do you mean we've been beaten to it?" Cassandra asked, and Cantis sighed, resting his head against the wall from where he sat.

"I mean the Red Templars already signed off the Mages." He explained as calmly as he could, frustration and anxiety running a dangerous mix inside of him. "Apparently they've taken over Redcliffe Castle, and are going to be signing an alliance with the Mage Rebellion."

"Have they already signed it?" Josephine asked. All of the war council were standing around him in a half circle where he sat on a bench in the entry way to the Chantry, exhausted mentally and physically.

"No." Cantis shook his head slowly. "But I don't think it matters. The Red Templars have themselves a fortress, there's no way we could disrupt anything that they're doing. We should focus on the Templars for the time being. Unless anyone has a plan?"

"Redcliffe Castle is, for all intents and purposes, impenetrable." Cullen added, running a hand through his hair. "It has held off a thousand assaults in it's time. We don't have the kind of manpower to take such a place."

"So we should just give up?" Leliana asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let our already powerful enemy absorb a powerful organization with some of the best mages in Thedas?" There was an almost hiss to her voice, a disdainful note. "And leave a hostile foreign power on our doorstep?"

Cullen sighed and looked Leliana directly in the eyes. "And what, pray tell, do you propose that wouldn't cost us every last one of our soldiers in stopping them? It's not ideal to just let them go, but there's also nothing we can do about it."

"Is there any sort of way into the castle?" Cantis suggested weakly, his body and heart aching. Aching for what he would lose staying with the Inquisition. For the people who would suffer if he didn't. For home.

"Not that I know of." Cullen shook his head. "It's possible that there's a sewer line or something of the sort... but even if there is it will undoubtedly be well guarded."

"Wait." Leliana held up a hand and all eyes turned to her. "There is... another way in. An escape route for the Arl's family. A hidden tunnel through the windmill at Redcliffe that leads directly into the undercroft of the castle."

"That feels... convenient." Cantis said, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes. His whole body wanted, starved for more Red Lyrium, and every moment he didn't have any was anguish. "Could it be a trap?"

"No." She shook her head. "It's a well kept secret, only known to the Arl and his son. We used it during the Blight to reach the castle when it was overrun by those... demons, all those years ago. There's a door in the windmill that requires a pendant placed onto it to open. I don't have it, but I'm certain Mara kept it after the Blight ended."

"Mara?" Cantis asked, not opening his eyes. "Marilina Amell, the Hero of Ferelden?" He couldn't see, but rather felt her nod. "You know where she is? Can you write her, get this key?"

Leliana shook her head. "Write her, no. It's... complicated. But she kept a whole box of things she kept when the Blight ended at home. Go to the Templars and secure their help, while you're gone I'll go and search for it."

"Right." He sat up and pried his eyes open. "The Templars. We have any idea of how to get them to talk to us?"

Josephine nodded. "Several members of the Ferelden nobility have been supplying Therinfal Redoubt, where the Templars have taken refuge, with Lyrium and other supplies in order to… placate them, keep them from raiding cities."

"Like they did to Ostwick." Cantis said quietly, shaking his head a moment later. "And we thinking we can exploit that somehow, hm?"

She nodded emphatically. "The Templars rely on them for most everything. If they arrive along with a large compliment of Inquisition forces, adding their weight to our demands for negotiations and threatening to cut them off from vital supplies that they need simply to stay alive… there's no way they can ignore that, not even someone who has shown as much reluctance to deal with the Inquisition as the Lord Seeker."

"Right." Cantis stood, wobbling a little as he did. "Then I should start now, if we're to go all the way to Therinfal." His voice had no trace of anger or weariness, in spite of the fact he had walked all the way from here to Redcliffe and back, and would soon have to make a much longer trek. His anger and pain gave him a drive that few, if any, in the Inquisition could match.

"You should stay here a day or two." Josephine said, holding a hand up. Looking over at her, Cantis say honesty and steel in equal measures concealed in her dark eyes. "It will take a few days for our allies to be ready to arrive in any case, and you… don't look well, if you don't mind me saying so my lord."

For a moment he considered arguing, but then sighed and nodded. Surely he looked awful, he knew that well enough, and not just from the Red Lyrium. He hadn't slept in days, and was fit to starve soon enough, having been much too busy to care for himself and too driven to notice such trivialities. But Josephine was right. No matter what he did, he could do no good to anyone if he were dead. And to starve to death would be a poor end to someone who had held off armies single handedly.

He nodded again and fell back onto the bench, finally allowing himself to feel exhaustion. The others all left, off to prepare for what was to come, but Josephine stayed a moment, gazing at the Red Templar with sadness in her eyes.

"Are you… alright, my lord?" She asked at last, and he opened his eyes again, looking over to her with silvery eyes full of pain and regret. "You look… troubled."

He chuckled a little under his breath, sitting up again and straightening his coat. "You might have to be all courteous around the nobility, madame Montilyet, but you needn't with me. I'm sure I look like battered shite, you don't have to sugar-coat it." She didn't answer, only wore a grave expression silently asking. "Do… do you ever wonder? At what could have been? Laid in bed at night thinking about the hardest choices that life has thrown at you? If… if you've done the right things in your life, to have brought you to this moment?"

She thought a moment, not taking her eyes from his. "Sometimes." She admitted slowly, an emphasis in the middle of the word as she pondered it. "I often wonder what would have happened if I had stayed in Antiva when my mother sent me to Orlais. I cried and cried at the time, clung to her skirt as I begged her to reconsider. At the time it seemed… the worst thing in the world, to have everything change in my life. But now I'm here, and I… wouldn't exchange it, even with all of Haven's downfalls." She shook her head and smiled a little. "Of course, that's nothing compared to what you've had to endure, my lord."

"No, no." He waved a dismissive hand. "We… we all have our struggles. Even if they're not as… cataclysmic as others, that doesn't make them any less real." He smiled and stood. "Thank you, lady Montilyet. That… is a comfort, to know I'm not alone in that."

She smiled back, a grave expression giving way to a cheerful one. Words were her work, but if brought her more joy to bring a smile to another then to sign a thousand successful contracts. "I can't imagine to know what you've endured, but… I… it's worth saying that we are here for you. And that, in spite of everything, I think you've made the right choices. Life's hardest choices are the ones that make you reconsider everything, and it takes a brave man to do what you've done, to make the decisions that you've made."

Cantis smiled weakly, clapping her on the shoulder. "I'm not sure I would call what I've done bravery. Looking at it now… everything I've done seems quite stupid."

Josephine shook her head vehemently. "I haven't known you long, my lord, and I won't pretend to know you yourself. But… you stood up to your brothers, to your own husband, to help save the world. You turned your back on family and friends because it was the right thing to do. I..." She looked away, breaking contact with his eyes so he wouldn't see the doubt that lay in them. "Without you, if you hadn't acted that day... we would all be dead. You fought for us, even… when when our own Maker turned his back on us." She gave a small laugh and shook her head. "But I'm wasting your time, aren't I? You look awful, you should go rest."

He smiled humourlessly. "You're fine, lady Montilyet. That is… good to hear, that you believe me capable of such things. In all honesty, I was just scared, trying to do the right thing after I realized how many people we killed in the Temple. But I… thank you for your words."

Josephine smiled and shook her head once more. "Then you already did more then most anyone else would have. And please, you can call me Josie."

Cantis laughed. "Alright then, Josie. I won't waste your whole day."

She smiled once more, and then disappeared away into her office. Cantis looked down at himself, seeing the torn and ragged coat he was wearing, the double blades sheathed at his waist, the ripped gloves veiled over rugged hands. All day he had been considering taking the offer he had been given in Redcliffe. Of going home, letting what was going to happen occur on it's own. Of going back to being a simple ill educated peasant scratching out a living on a farm. And funny enough, it hadn't been the death or the destruction that had convinced him, not the love and friendship of his brothers. It was one little Antivan girl who had just been honest with him.

It was time to go to war.

On his way to his shack he had made his home, Cantis stopped just outside of the Chantry. He was exhausted, an old, aching pain seeped deep into his bones. But first he had to say his thanks to someone he hadn't gotten a chance to properly make amends with.

Leliana was sitting alone in her tent, staring at a single letter in her hands as if it held all of the answers to life's questions. He had seen her occasionally pass it over in her hands, catching glimpses of her looking it over when she thought no one else was watching. Before he could say anything, she put it away and stood to meet him as he approached the tent. Of course. She had the senses of an eagle, there was no sneaking up to her tent.

"Yes?" She asked coldly, raising an elegant eyebrow, keeping up her smooth and distant appearance that she kept up around everyone except Josephine and Grace. It was as if she tried to keep herself from appearing a normal person, a mortal. Though that was probably just it. She was the Inquisitions spymaster, the hand in the dark that no one could be safe from. She had to appear more than just human.

"Good reading?" He asked casually, trying to at least break a little to see the human side of her.

"Just a letter." Her voice was calculated, distant. As if she were still wary of him after all that had happened, she were still treating him as the enemy. And why shouldn't she?

"Right." He nodded, realizing it wasn't going to go much of anywhere. "I just… wanted to say thank you."

"Thank you?" She asked in a small surprise, eyebrow remaining raised. "What for?"

He smiled a little. It was almost funny, going from the verbose Josephine to this brevity. "I owe you my life, Leliana. Back on the mountain, when Samson escaped and I gave myself up, you could have shot me. You had no reason not to. We killed several of your men, blew up the Conclave and the thousands inside of it. You could have killed me in turn. And you didn't. And then when Samson shot me in the back, you could have simply left me there to die. And you didn't. I owe you, and I thought you should know how… appreciative I am. Even once I admitted to having killed Justinia, and halted the Breach's progress, you let me live. Allowed me freedom, even."

Leliana gave a small smile, making him smile in turn at having broken into her shell, even if just the tiniest bit. "That was Cassandra's fault. I… advocated for a different result."

Cantis shrugged. "And I wouldn't have held it against you. But even if it was Cassandra after the Breach came down, it was you who saved me to begin with. And if you truly wanted me dead, I know I wouldn't be here. We both know you're the kind of person who gets what she wants, one way or another."

She shook her head a little, sitting back in her chair. "You don't need to thank me. Maker knows I've done little to deserve it."

"I don't believe that." He remained standing, but leaned against one of the wooden poles that kept her tent held against the sky. "And again for just now, in the Chantry. If you hadn't known about that windmill, we would be in a much, much worse position then we are now. It's on you that we can save hundreds of our people, and not leave a hostile foreign power on our doorstep."

She gave another small laugh, cracking her shoulder a moment before answering. "Let's just hope that I'm right, that the key got kept after the Blight ended. Otherwise, we'll be in a much worse place."

"We'll figure something out." Cantis shrugged. "And… well, I meant to ask you something, if it's alright with you." She looked up, listening intently. "Is Grace, your little one… comfortable here? I know that it's none of my business, but… well, this is, for all intents and purposes, a military installation. It doesn't seem a safe place for a child."

Leliana sighed, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her eyes deeply before answering. "I… you're right. But we've nowhere else to send her. She's scared of public places, of being somewhere without me to protect her. She sometimes has trouble going to the kitchens if she doesn't know who's in there. She can't go anywhere without me to protect her. And even if I could, I've no family to speak of. The only person I would trust with her is Josephine, and she's here with us." Her voice was tired and battered. She had thought about it a thousand times over, wondered if it would be better for her to give her daughter to a family that could actually take care of her. But her anxiety was bad enough without having to deal with a mother who abandoned her.

"Does she have a father?" Cantis suggested tentatively.

To his surprise, Leliana let out a legitimate, rather loud laugh. "Her father's the one that left her this way." She shook her head. "From what Grace says, he used to… hit her and her mother, and would yell at Grace and eventually abandoned her in the middle of the Denerim markets. A little girl! Back then she was maybe five years old, and he just abandoned her to be homeless on the streets!"

"Maker's Breath." He shook his head sadly."I'm... I... shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't think-"

Leliana let out an aggravated sigh and shook her head. "It's not your fault." It made her angry, to talk about it. How someone could do that to a child, she would never know. Someone like that couldn't be considered a father in any respect, not to mention how monstrous such a thing was. "And that isn't what you asked, is it? You were asking if I am married, have someone to send Grace to." Cantis nodded. "I… yes. But she is… far away, now." She looked away, sadness clouding her clear blue eyes.

"I'm sorry." Cantis whispered in an old, unused voice. "I… really shouldn't have brought it up. If I had known how many painful memories it was going to dredge up..."

Leliana just shook her head sadly. "It's alright. It's just that… she's always in my thoughts, even when we're far away, and that me and Grace miss her terribly."

"What… what happened to her?" Cantis knew he shouldn't ask, but they were already entrenched to deep into this conversation, and something in him told him that he needed to ask. Leliana wouldn't dare meet his gaze, and he felt awful for a moment before she spoke at last.

"The Blight takes everything it touches." Her voice was sad, tired, one that had lived too many lives. "Even the Wardens. It… began to consume her." She closed her eyes, but Cantis could glimpse the tears that lay in them. "Most Wardens go to the Deep Roads, to face their… their deaths with dignity. But she knew that she couldn't do such a thing, to just abandon me and Grace. Not without a fight. She's… studying Darkspawn, working with experts on such things, trying… trying to find a cure for the Blight, for the Calling." She looked down, lowering her voice. "If she's still alive, that is."

"Is she _the_ Warden?" Cantis asked, standing just over her, and Leliana nodded, knowing what he meant. "I thought as much. And that means you have nothing to worry about." She looked up, opening her eyes to see him, and it hurt to see her in so much pain, even for having known her such a little time. "I was in Denerim during the Blight. I was there when the Darkspawn came, when the Archdemon's wings blotted out the sun, when the darkness swallowed the dawn. They took everything, tore our fragments of hope to shreds, our resolve to fight, along with our men." He gave a pointed look, ensuring that he had Leliana's undivided attention. "We were walking dead men. And she saved us all. She stopped the tide of darkness, single handedly killed the Archdemon itself, and lived. You don't have to be scared, Leliana."

Cantis knelt by her, and let her put her head on his shoulder, and held her comfortingly as, for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to cry. How foolish, she must look, Leliana thought, the mighty spymaster of the Inquisition and Left Hand of the Divine crying like a child on the shoulder of a wanted criminal, the enemy. And yet it didn't matter. She just needed someone to understand what it was like, what she had been through. And Cantis understood better than anyone what it was like to be separated from family, to have lost the ones you love and to not know anything about others.

Even when she was done crying, Leliana kept her arms around him, shaking as he held her comfortingly. At last someone who could understand her.

"I think, lady Nightingale," Cantis said at last, cutting through the heavy silence that had fallen over Haven in the twilight of the day. "That we at last understand one another."


	10. Champions of the Just

_A.N: Wasn't sure about where to end this one off, so I just thought this would be a good spot to end it. On a side note, if anyone reads another if my fic, Faith From Ashes, I would encourage you to leave a review on that if there's anything you want me to change about it. I'm going to be updating it now, finally got pushed off the fence to contiune it, but will be changing it around._

Therinfal was absolutely miserable.

It was freezing and cold, with snow banks up to Cantis' waist that he had to fight to pull through. The carriages had only been able to carry them so far, and Therinfal had been built miles from civilization. Varric grumbled the whole way of how he had to practically carve his way through trenches of snow.

"Wait." Cantis held up a hand, and the others stopped behind him. "Do you hear that?" A distant and faint whisper, menacing and secretive as if it were voices of those hiding in shadows and waiting for their moment to strike.

"Hear what?" Cassandra asked, looking over suspiciously, fingers dancing on the hilt of her sword. "What is it? Templars? Demons?"

"I..." He stammered, listening. It was coming from the direction of Therinfal, but that was impossible. It was at least another half hour away, maybe more. How could such a faint, secretive thing be coming from so far away?

Cantis shook his head emphatically, shrugging it off. Whatever it was, standing around wouldn't fix it. "It's nothing." He said, turning to meet he disbelieving stares of Cassandra and Vivienne, and the surely unamused Varric still neck deep in his snow bank but not allowing anyone to carry him.

All he could do was pray it wasn't what he thought it was.

The Templars at Therinfal let them in with surprisingly little resistance. They explained their situation, and their demands to meet with their leader, and the nobility added their weight to it saying how they would cut the Templars off from their supplies. With only a few words, the Templars let them in.

Any questions were met with utter silence, only the occasional word instructing them to only follow suit behind them. Cantis looked to the side of the courtyard. How odd. Since the beginning of Templar Order, there had been a custom: There were three flags in the courtyard, one representing Andraste, another the Templar Order, and a final one of the people they protected. Any and all visitors were to raise them in the order they prioritized them, and then explain their thinking to the Lord Seeker himself. He could see the flags from where he stood, and yet the Templars made no mention of them, no attempt to take them to the tradition.

A tradition kept for hundreds of years, suddenly abandoned. Why? Even though it was likely difficult to keep for every single last visitor to the Templar strongholds, surely it should be brought out for something as notorious as the Inquisition, or at the very least the people who kept them in supplies.

But even more worrying was the whispers. The distant song that he had heard echoing from the fortress had been growing stronger and stronger, confirming it's origin. It was so familiar… but it couldn't be. Could it? It couldn't be, surely. These were Templars, guardians of the people, champions of the just. They were so high and mighty, constantly convincing people no mortal corruption could touch them. Please let that be true today.

Soon they were left alone in an antechamber, the Templars briefly saying they would notify the Lord Seeker of their arrival. Cantis looked around, anxiety creeping up the veins of his arms, his breath quick and shallow, fingers dancing on both of his blades.

"So, this is weird, right?" Varric chimed in after several minutes of uncomfortable silence save for the distant chant of whispers in Cantis' ears. "Like, Templars do weird shit all the time, but this is creepy even for them."

"I don't understand." Cassandra shook her head sadly. "This isn't like the Templars at all. We're a foreign power meeting with them for diplomacy, there should have been a dozen traditions we should have been put through already, not… this."

"Even in war, the Templars are creatures of habit." Vivienne agreed, straightening her makeup and readying her staff. "Either the Lord Seeker is far more desperate than any of us realize, or something is very, very wrong."

"Quiet." Cantis hissed, and they fell silent. He closed his eyes, listening in intently to the whispers.

"Soon." He could hear a few of the words, barely able to make them out from the direction from where the Templars had disappeared to. "So nice. So safe. So… delicate." "You have lovely skin. I can't wait to try it on." "He'll die in your arms." "Feed us. Make them whole."

"Make them whole."

His eyes shot open, looking around frantically. There couldn't be any denying it: The Red Lyrium wanted him to feed it to the others. He had been hoping desperately that he had been wrong, that something in him had done insane and broken down instead of having to face this possibility.

"Cassandra!" He panted, sweat on his brow, and she looked over with wide eyes. "The… the Templars. There's… Red Lyrium here, there's people, at least some of them, they're infected."

"What?!" She shrieked, hand instinctively slipping to her blade. "Are you sure?" Cantis raised an expectant eyebrow, expression knowing and confidant in what he knew. "Right, of course you are. What do we do?"

"Is… is that shit whispering to you?" Varric asked, a pit of dread sinking deep in his chest at the thought of it having infected more and more people, especially any more Templars.

Cantis nodded slowly."Let's just say it commanded me to feed it to all of you. And that's the least creepy thing it whispered."

"Shit." Varric shook his head, unshouldering Bianca. "Bartrand went nuts after just being near a piece of that shit. And you've eaten it. Just, uh, don't try and kill us, hm?"

Cantis chuckled in spite of the situation, looking to the door where the Templars had disappeared to. "Varric, if I get the urge to eat your face, I promise you'll be the first person I tell."He pointed his chin, following the Templars' path as he drew his dual blades. "Come on."

The others nodded and drew their weapons, staff, bow and bloody blade.

Outside of the door, they found themselves in a long hallway, faced with two Templars guards. These ones looked different than the ones who had ushered them in: their skin was pale, their eyes a tinge of red near their irises, and their veins prominent and jet black, like tar. Red Templars, as he had feared.

"Hey! What are you-" One began, but was abruptly cut off. Cantis lunged forward in a blur, and drove a blade into either of their heads, taking both of them down in a single, brutal movement. They fell without a word or a scream, utterly silent as their former brother drew back his blades.

"Andraste." Cassandra breathed. "Is that what this does to people? This… this Red Lyrium?"

"It can do a lot worse, Seeker." Varric shook his head. "This shit drove Bartrand to the end of his wits, made him try to kill his own brothers in only a few seconds. Not to mention what happened to Meredith."

"You should see the behemoths that these make men into if they take too much." Cantis shook his head sadly. "Too much, too fast, and it… you can't even tell they used to be human, be a person. They're just a husk, living and breathing, but not really alive. They live in constant agony, unable to think, are useful for little more than being a living battering ram. Samson always gave us small amounts every few days so that it… it wouldn't end like that."

"What a crude thing to do." Vivienne nodded. "Such a horrific thing to even think of. And mages wonder why people fear them."

"This isn't about magic, Madame De Fer." Cantis inclined his head slightly, motioning so that they would follow him onward deeper into the heart of the fortress. "This Red Lyrium shit, it… is beyond anything any mage is capable of. It's something as vile and destructive as the Blight. I… don't think any men of the world could have created such a thing, even with magic."

"Perhaps." Vivienne shrugged, following suit as she kept a firm, but loose grip on her staff. "But it is Lyrium regardless. Blame will be cast on the mages, regardless of the truth. Not everyone is as level-headed about such things as you, my dear."

Cantis chuckled a little. "Level-headed isn't the right word. I just have experience in such matters." Stopping in his tracks, he held up a hand for silence before anyone else could say anything. "Do you hear that?" They all stopped and listened intently. It was a strain to hear anything beyond utter silence in the massive fortress, but if they listened hard enough they could hear a faint sound of steel on steel. "Battle."

Reaching the end of the hallway and pressing their way out into a courtyard, they found the fortress at war with itself. Templars were battling Templars, men in matching uniforms bringing blades down upon one another.

To the rest of his party, the battle must have seemed madness, chaos without meaning. But Cantis understood in a moment. These were Red Templars battling their uncorrupted brethren. These were people who had refused the corrupted power, or those who simply had been resistant to it. He could feel them, the Red ones calling out to him like stars glittering on the battlefield. Something was terribly wrong, in so many ways, but perhaps… perhaps they could still accomplish their original goal.

Making a decision in a split second, and he turned to the others. "Get to the Keep!" He shouted, gesturing to the main building of the fortress. "Clear it out, and keep the Red Templars out!"

"And what about you?" Cassandra yelled back, clutching her longsword with white knuckles.

"I'm going to clear out the Red Templars, and if I find any uncorrupted ones I'll send them off to you!" He threw his arm in the direction of the keep again. "Now!"

To the uncorrupted Templars, it was as if the Maker himself had sent down an angel of death upon their Red brothers who had turned on them. He came upon the Red Templars with an unending fury, bloody blades brought down in a whirlwind of steel and blood, driving away the mad men that had been decimating the uncorrupted men. Turning the Templars with eyes of fury and death, he screamed directions to safety, where they found the Right hand of the Divine herself, along with the leader of the loyal Mages and one of the most famous Dwarves of the age, all having cleared out the thickest encampment of Red Templars and having made it into a safe place for them to prepare their defence.

They held the line against waves and waves of Red Templars, and still more regular ones arrived, singing the praise of the Herald of Andraste who had saved them, convinced that only the Maker himself could have sent that angel of death to protect them in this dark hour.

Nearly an hour passed before Cantis arrived at the grand hall, covered in blood and dirt. Almost three dozen uncorrupted Templars had survived the massacre, compared to the hundreds who had initially inhabited the fortress, the rest having been killed or corrupted.

"You look awful, kid." Varric laughed as the dread looking Herald come to them, blood dripping from his blades and boots onto the floors.

"Looks don't count for shit out here." Cantis smiled grimly, clapping the dwarf on the shoulder. "This is war."

Varric chuckled again. "I don't know. Hawke managed to stay pretty hot, and she lived in Kirkwall of all places."

"Varric." Cassandra groaned. "Perhaps you can save the discussion about your… friend, for a time when we're not in danger?"

"You make it sound so lewd, Seeker." Varric smiled. "Daisy would've gotten jealous if it were like that. Not to mention Bianca." True to form, Cassandra gave a disgusted groan and rolled her eyes.

At that, a nervous, dark skinned Templar approached them, fiddling with his hands nervously. "I-Inquisition? Are you the ones that saved us?" Cantis nodded, straightening his coat out. "I… think I'm the highest ranking officer left… left alive. My name's Delrin Barris, Knight-Captain of the rebelled Templars."

"Cantis Trevelyan." He held out a hand and Delrin shook it firmly. "What happened here?"

"I don't know, ser." Delrin shook his head emphatically. "They… they brought us a new kind of Lyrium and gave it out to the senior officers. They do t hat often, you see, bring us new kinds of Lyrium, say that they're strong, more efficient, that sort of thing. Only this kind was… Red, and it whispered. I managed to avoid taking it, was always uneasy around the stuff, but everyone else beyond the rank and file took it instead of the normal Lyrium."

"Who's they?" Cantis demanded, a hand slipping down to the now sheathed dagger at his waist. "Who was giving you this Lyrium?"

"One of our Lyrium supplies, I don't know." He shook his head. "All I know is that an Orlesian man in a Knight's armour always showed up to drop it off. At first he had an elf woman with a bow come with him, one of those Dalish with the tattoos on their face, but eventually he started coming by himself."

"Louis and Suledin." He cursed, rocking his head down. "Damnit. I should have known they would try and corrupt others Templars."

"You know them?" He asked, looking surprised.

"Once." Cantis said simply, not wanting to explain himself. "Look, we need to sort this out. Where did the Red Lyrium come from? Where was it stored?"

"The Lord Seeker himself always brought it from his office." Delrin pointed. "Up the grand stair case there, end of the hallway."

"The Lord Seeker's office? Maybe we can take out their supplies and their leader at the same time. Show me." Cantis turned to the others. "Cassandra, you're in charge here. The Red Templars know you're here, so get ready for a counter-strike, get the men formed up for a defensive. Vivienne, take care of the wounded who can't keep fighting, keep the front line in barriers, and wreak hell on anyone who tries to get in here. Varric, you just do what you do best."

"I don't understand. It all came from here, I swear it did."

He had led Cantis up the stairs, only to find the Lord Seeker's office completely deserted. No Lord Seeker, no Templars and, most importantly, no Lyrium of any sort.

Cantis could barely concentrate, so loud was the voices in his ear now. They were now less of a whispering song in the darkness then a screaming demon haunting him constantly, maliciously.

"Is… you said your Lord Seeker… brought the Lyrium out of here?" Cantis stumbled with his words, shaking his head hard to force himself to concentrate. Delrin nodded, looking around, confused. "You said that Lo-… the Orlesian Chevalier delivered the Red Lyrium to you, correct? Why would it be in here instead?"

"The Lord Seeker brought it up here when it was delivered." His voice was distant, saddened, but also with a hint of an edge of anger to it. "I just assumed he was keeping it away from the rest of us until it was deemed safe, making sure no stupid recruit got his hands on a whole box of it. Damnit, I should have seen this coming."

Cantis took a deep breath, and listened intently to the song of the Red Lyrium. He had to listen to the noise, but not the words, or else it might drive him mad. Instead he focused on were it came from. It was very clearly close by.

A moment later, Delrin jumped back when Cantis picked up and threw a bookcase over. "What th-" But then he stopped mid sentence. Where it had stood was a gaping hole into a mouth of darkness. "Maker's breath. How did you know that?"

"Instinct." Cantis said simply, pulling a torch from a sconce on the wall. "I'll see where this goes. See if I can't find the your Lord Seeker, or at least the Red Lyrium. Go help the defence in the Great Hall, Cassandra could probably use the help."

Delrin nodded emphatically. "Will do. Keep safe, Ser."

"And to you."

Cassandra cursed under her breath, bringing her blade to bear, another Red Templar falling before her. Whatever this Red Lyrium did to Cantis' former brothers in arms, it gave them strength beyond that of a normal man, and it seemed they barely felt pain until it was fatal. She was so used to striking a man and having him fall back in pain, to have wear another down in battle. But these… things, were not of the natural world. They didn't flinch, they didn't blink, and they didn't back down until the last of their life was taken.

Power is addictive, she knew that better than most. How someone could give up such strength and endurance, she had no idea.

"Templars, brace yourselves!" One of the Templars shouted. "Demon!"

A moment later, her jaw dropped as she saw what he meant.

Clambering in the doorway was a massive coiled being of flesh and hatred, sharpened teeth the length of spears on the end of them as it smiled a wicked smile of malice.

"I've seen some shit in my time." Varric shook his head. "But you people aren't paying me enough to deal with this on a daily basis."

"What is that thing?" Cassandra breathed in disbelief.

"At the Circle, once." Vivienne drew up an ice spell at the tips of her finger. "Envy. A being so consumed with the want to be a mortal being, it can emulate them."

"And here I thought Daisy and her mirror was weird."

For a moment, everything was still and silent. The demon had clambered onto the pews in the hall, and was simply staring at them with large eyes like they were looking at a prized piece of meat.

And then, it lunged.

Fighting the Red Templars was something of a child's toy compared to enduring what was in that tunnel.

The Red Lyrium was definitely coming from here, that much he could be sure of. The voices grew only louder, more shrill, the further down he went. His vision blurred, and the world became dizzying, but he continued on through sheer force of will. Every step was another battle, but he was a soldier, and willing to fight as long as it took.

He had buried his own daughter once, surely some crystals couldn't keep him beaten down.

Cantis stepped from what seemed to be the end of the tunnel and into the strangest thing. Outside was… a peaceable grassland. What in the world?

He was standing in the middle of the plains of Ostwick, with a farmhouse just in front of him, massive and unsoiled fields of tilled, fertile soil that ensured there would never be any starvation, or misery of any sort.

What a strange place. Surely that couldn't be real? But, something… something felt… blissful about this it. Why shouldn't such a place exist? What had he done to deserve a life of misery and war? Why shouldn't he live a peaceful life for once?

Inside the farmhouse, he found a scene that felt as if it were a still painting from the most wonderful moment in his life. Liam was sitting on a rocking chair in front of a roaring fireplace, reading a book, and… Abigail was sitting there in front of him. How…?

"Daddy!" She cried as she saw him, smiling wildly and jumping to her feet, wrapping him in a loving embrace. "I'm so glad you're home!"

"H-hey, s-s-sweetie." He stammered, utterly confused. "Is… everything okay?"

"I think so." She furrowed her brow in the most adorable way possible. "Why? Did something happen?"

"I… don't know." He shook his head, trying hard to think as best he could. Something was wrong, wasn't it? Something… something…

It hurt to think. To try and remember. So much easier to focus on the now.

"Love?" Liam called, bringing him back to the present moment. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Cantis nodded slowly. "Yeah, I… I guess. Just… long day, and I… have an awful headache." That must be it. Just a fever of some kind.

"Let me show you what I learned at school today." Abigail led him by the hand over to the fire, showing him the books she had been writing in. "I've been practising my script all day, just like you said I should."

"Have you?" Cantis smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her. "I love you, little sweetheart."

"I love you too, daddy."

What a perfect life.


	11. Wayfare

_Author's Note: Short chapter is short. Sorry about that guys, but it's been a rough little while over 'ere., and I felt bad continuing to update Faith From Ashes (Which is finally seeing new chapters after… forever) without giving you guys over here anything. So hope you enjoy!_

* * *

"Daddy?"

Cantis blinked hard, his daughter's words cutting through the haze of his troubled mind while he tried to think through what was happening.

"Are you listening?" She complained, putting a hand on either hip, frowning adorably at him.

"Yeah, yeah. S-sorry, sweetheart." He shook his head a little, smiling at her. "Daddy's just had… a long day, is all."

"Love?" Liam looked up from his book, and Cantis looked over his shoulder at him. "Are you okay? You seem… off, tonight. Maybe you should go to bed."

Cantis shook his head, swallowing hard and wringing his hands. It hurt so much, but… his daughter needed some attention, tonight. He had been neglecting her lately… hadn't he? It felt like something had been… like he had done something to her. Maybe… maybe it was just him having been gone so much lately, been so busy working. Yes, that must be it.

"No, no, I'm fine." He insisted, smiling. "Just been busy lately." He looked back down to Abigail, bouncing her on his knee. "What were you saying, sweetie?"

Abigail laid back on him, resting her head on his chest. "I was asking if I could have a pony. I promise I'd take care of her every morning, go out and feed her as soon as the sun rises!"

Cantis' eyes opened, biting on his lower lip. _Wait…_ "Wait." He said, and she looked up at him. "You… I got you a pony already… didn't I?"

" _I cry out for her, ice running in my heart. She's screaming, trying to hold on as best she can."_

He looked over his shoulder, bewildered. It was a boy's voice, more a pup than a wolf, but… from where? And who's?

" _It's running too fast, I can't catch her. She screams, crying, as she falls out of the saddle, her foot catching in the stirrup."_

"Excuse me, sweetie." Cantis said to Abigail, heart pounding in his ears. Letting her off of his lap, he almost ran for the door to the outside. Closing it behind him, he breathed deep as new memories clashed with the old, rubbing his eyes. What in the hell was that? Was he going absolutely mad?

When he opened his eyes again, a young man stood before him in patchwork clothes, light and dirty hair that fell into his dark eyes, a ragged hat over his head.

"It's alright." The boy said, giving a tiny, comforting smile. "It wasn't your fault. You're never going to change who you were, what you did, but you can change what you'll do."

"Who are you?" Cantis whispered, his heart stilling in his chest. Something had been wrong since the moment he had come home, but this…

The boy smiled at him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"My name is Cole. I'm here to help you."

"This day can't get any weirder, can it?" Cantis said grimly, rubbing his eyes as old memories came flooding back, clashing with the ones this… place was trying to replace them with. "Okay, _Cole_. What do we have to do?"

Cole bit his lip, thinking a moment before speaking. "What brought you here..." He closed his eyes, thinking hard. _"This is what he wanted. A world without chaos, no shadows, no death or dying. So we give him the world back, a perfect world, and then we needn't worry about him any longer. Youth, innocence, beautiful, carefree… give him back a beloved daughter, a loving husband and his farm. Everything he wanted."_

Opening his eyes, Cole looked at Cantis sadly. "This isn't real. None of it. Remember that." Cantis nodded, gritting his hands. "The thing that brought you here wants to give you a perfect world, but that's a world without choice. Abigail is dead, you can't save her, but you can make her proud of you." He met Cantis' eyes, who swallowed hard and nodded, eyes watering as the real world broke through the fake memories given to him by this place. "What you have to do is choose the loss that brought you here in the first place."

Cantis looked at him suspiciously a moment, and then his jaw dropped, eyes widening as he took the boy's meaning. "You don't… you can't..."

"This isn't real." Cole shook his head. "Remember that. You have to leave paradise, of your own accord, and go into the real world again, painful as it is."

"So what do I do?" He asked, his voice pained.

"Walk away." Cole ordered, and Cantis sighed a little in minor relief. "Accept who you are, the path of blood that you will leave behind. Reject paradise."

Taking a great sigh, Cantis stepped forward.

* * *

"Everyone down!"

The words had barely slipped from Cassandra's lips before it pounced again. She dove to the ground for protection, and the beast sailed over her head, slamming into the wall, metal and pain flying in a chaotic swirl where it had impacted.

" **Now!** " She screamed, jumping back to her feet and sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her, up the stairs and onto the second floor's balcony that overlooked the first. She would only have oone chance at this.

It had stepped right into Varric's trap he had left for it, a razor coiled in wire that sprung up at it's presence, lashing it's way through the tender flesh of the monster's legs, making it scream out in agony and stuck in place a moment. Before it could free itself, Vivienne's spell slammed into the side of Envy's face. For a moment it looked confused, but then horror filled it's bloodied eyes. A field of expertly woven magic sewed itself around the beast, sealing it into a stasis.

With it frozen, all of the remaining Templars slammed their blades into the ground, bright blue energy emanating from them, sapping the Demon of all of the strength it drew from the Fade. For a moment it resisted, but soon it bent under the will of the dozens of Mage-Hunters, crashing down into the ground, drained.

As it fell, Cassandra leapt from the balcony above, crashing into it's broken form. It roared, arching and thrashing in an attempt to throw her from it's back, but she held on adamantly, bringing her blade into the hollow of it's skull down again and again, piercing through it's skull every time, the blade ringing down until her arms couldn't bring it down any more. Both of them fell to the ground, one exhausted, and the other dead.

As she battled the demon, more came. The others had no time to recover, dozens of the Red Templars came running as fast as their feet would carry them, battle cries filling the room. But they were stopped as they found the adamant defenders, light in their eyes as they battled off the corrupted Templars. The ones in front dropped their torches and gave one final yell before they were cut down, the ones behind their forms yelled more and more, knocking over the dead in a lyrium addled rush towards the defenders only moments before they too were cut down.

And then it was over. It was as if someone had sealed a dam on a river's opening, the flood of soldiers cut short as the last of them fell. Less than two dozen Templars still remained, as did those who had followed Cantis here.

Now all they could do was hope he succeeded in finding their Lyrium supplies.

* * *

"Love?" Cantis could hear Liam's voice from behind him, and he turned. "Where are you going?"

"A walk." He said simply, and continued walking. Cole walked beside him, but Liam couldn't see him.

"Wait!" Liam called again, and Cantis stopped once more. "You've been weird all night. Is everything… alright?"

Cantis shook his head. "Fine. Just need a minute to myself."

"Don't go out." Liam begged, stepping off of the patio and onto the grass next to his husband. "Love, whatever… happened… it's not safe out there, this time of night. Come back in." His eyes were wide and sad, nearly enough to convince Cantis to stop immediately. "Please? We can put Abigail to bed, and then… go to bed ourselves?"

If it hadn't been for that last line, Cantis may very well have been able to change his mind. But for all that this place seemed to know of him, that wasn't a part of it. He, unlike most people in the world, lacked any sort of sexual interest, and was even rather repulsed by the idea of such. Even for his own husband, who he loved with all of his heart, he didn't want for such a thing. His brief revulsion at the suggestion was enough for him to remember that none of this was real.

He turned silently and continued walking away.

"If you leave now," Liam warned, his voice angry now. "I'm not going to be here when you come back!"

Stopping once more, Cantis hung his head sadly.

"'Bye, Liam. I love you, and I always will."

With an aching heart, he continued walking.


	12. Reunion

_Author's Note: Here's a slightly longer chapter for you guys to make up for the last one. Even if you're feeling a bit sick of the Templar recruitment subplot at this point (I kinda was), keep reading this one. They get back to Haven, and the drama really spikes at the end._

* * *

Cantis wasn't sure when the fields had turned to nothingness, his head in agony as hammers pounded in them. When he opened his eyes, he could barely tell that he had in the absolute darkness. The memories of what had happened were fresh in his mind, and now he had to be wary. Whatever had happened, he must've been in the Fade, one way or another. He had to ensure he wasn't still there, and to find whatever had taken him through such misery. Powerful as Red Lyrium was, he doubted that was what had done it.

Standing slowly on shaking knees, he looked around to find himself utterly alone. No sign of that boy, Cole, or any demon. No one except for the background whispers of Red Lyrium, and now determination and anger were leagues more powerful than any magic.

In the absence of any better ideas, he continued down the tunnel. The whispers never stopped, but he was stronger than them now.

Soon enough, as the whispers grew louder and more shrill, he reached the end. What he found was an utterly deserted room filled with box after box of glowing red mineral. Taking a deep breath, he drew his blade.

"What was it that was so wrong with us, _sweetheart_?" A lilting voice called from behind him, and he turned to find himself face to face with a demon wearing the face of his husband. It spoke from his body, in his voice, but it clearly wasn't him. It knew it's charade had been broken, that it must have done something wrong, and had come for one last chance at accomplishing it's goal. "We had paradise together. Come back, and I'll make everything better."

Cantis gave a grim smiled, more confidant with the weight of his hand-and-a-half sword in his hand. Even if he hadn't been utterly convinced it were a demon, it was impossibly difficult for this _thing_ to impersonate someone he had been married to for the last decade. "I see through you." His voice was a more adamant steel than his sword, his other hand balling itself into a fist "My advice is to stop lying and cut your losses here."

It smiled, nodding. "You're observant." Now it's voice was higher, more feminine and with a demonic undercurrent to it. "I can admire that." It curled into a smile, uncanny and unnatural. "But I was being honest. Come with me, tell me what you want and I can make it real. I promise I'll do better this time."

His face softened and he smiled, releasing his hand from a fist. "There is… something, one thing I would like more than anything, right now." It smiled even wider in turn at that, it's plan having worked.

"Anything."

"What I want, right now, more than anything else, is to..." He trailed off a little, stepping closer. It turned it's head a little, listening intently. "Watch. You. Bleed." Before the words could register, he lunged, driving his longsword deep into it's chest. It's eyes widened and mouth opened, but no sound came except a shrivelled, pathetic whine of pain before blood followed. "For mocking my husband, and for desecrating the memory of my child."

It panicked, trying to scramble away, but Cantis drew his arming blade and slit it's throat to the bone before it could. His grey eyes were the colour of steel, remorseless and callous as he murdered this beast. The demon fell to the ground without a sound. It's skin shivered, and then it morphed back into it's original form.

Behind where it had been standing was Cole, standing at the mouth of the tunnel, silent as he watched. He nodded, and Cantis nodded back. Then Cole turned and slipped away into the darkness, leaving Cantis to destroy the Lyrium himself.

It's shrill screams begged and pleaded like most cornered animals, and did nothing to stop him. He crushed the Lyrium until it was but dust, then set them aflame until they were nothing but ashes, until the whispers and screams ended. Only then was he satisfied, only then did he turn to rejoin the others.

The Red Templars would pay for every last person who died here today. Dearly.

* * *

"-And that's how mommy ended the Fifth Blight, and saved all of Ferelden." Leliana finished in her best storytelling voice, Grace sitting in her lap with eyes closed as she listened to old stories of her mother's bravery. It had been hard to skip over much of the story that Grace would find distressing, and focus purely on the light at the end of the darkness, but somehow she had managed.

"Was mommy brave?" Grace asked quietly. Her head was laid against her mother's breast, eyes closed as she listened intently.

"The bravest of us all." Leliana smiled, her voice a little distant as she remembered those days, when their love was early, when Mara was by her side every day. When the Darkspawn was the only thing to be feared in the world. "She refused to kill people, you know. Unlike everyone else with us, she showed quarter to everyone." She smiled and planted a kiss on the top of Grace's head. "Remember that, sweetheart. It might take a brave person to hurt someone else, but it takes a braver person to protect that same person."

"I will." Grace nodded, smiling. Then, quieter and most despondent, "I miss her."

"So do I, sweetheart. So do I."

The door was flung open, and Leliana snapped her head up to see. It was one of her agents, panting and out of breath. "Lady Nightingale?" He rasped, holding onto the door frame to hold himself up. "S-sorry to bother you, but the Herald and the rest are back, and they have Templars with them."

Her heart elated, relief washing over her. They had been gone so long that all of Haven had started to worry. She gently lifted Grace form her lap, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Momma has to go take care of this." She said, a little guilty over the fact she continually was interrupted from spending time with her daughter. "I'll be back before bed, okay?"

"Okay." Grace smiled, always cheerful. "I love you mama!"

"Love you too, baby. Love you too."

Outside she found the others inside Haven, beaten and bloody, along with exactly twenty-five templars, compared to the hundreds who had inhabited the fortress. They had been anticipating to come back with an army, not… this.

"Maker's breath." She said, walking down the path to them. Their coats and armour were ragged and splintered, died blood and bandages all over. "What happened?"

Cantis shook his head sadly. "The Red Templars were there." His voice was old and tired, as if he hadn't used it in days. "These… are the last uncorrupted ones."

"Andraste." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes a moment before looking back at them. These were just boys, more pups than wolves. Only one of them had any sort of officer platemail, and even he had a young face that was unaccustomed to war. The others all looked like raw recruits, maybe even to the point of being conscripts. Granted, any Templars were better than none, but still…

"Go rest." She said, looking to the four of them. "I'll get them to the camps, make sure they get some food and rest."

"Thank you." Cantis said simply, so tired that he couldn't even think of fighting her on it even if he wanted to. He was utterly drained and exhausted after everything he had endured, not having slept for days save for his brief entrapment in the Fade.

He broke off from the group and headed to his shack. He didn't even remember climbing into bed before his eyes fell closed and he remembered nothing more.

* * *

_A solemn field of silence. Fire burns in the distance, spreading over the dry grass to consume all in it's path. Screams soon carry on the wind, carrying the message and yet none of the urgency in it's retelling. People are dying, the world is aflame, and yet nothing can be done. This is the way the world is, the way it's going to happen, has to happen._

_Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go._

_A man who leads a war for his fellow man will defeat his enemies. And yet if those same men wouldn't end the wars, then the wars would end them._

_More screams, the fire now engulfing the whole of the world._

" _You killed us."_

_The words echo again and again, a choir of voices killed by a single hand whose spirits have now joined the background noise of the world._

_There's nothing to be afraid of now. The worst has already ended._

_Tired of wasted breath. Tired of having nothing left to live for._

_Now there's an iron smell of blood on the wind. Blood and cinder. All because of one person's actions. One person who changed the world, one person who burned it all to begin again. It turns out it wasn't finding a paradise that was impossible. It was letting it go of it._

" _You killed us." The words echo again and again, fire now filling every last inch of the world. It could have been different. It could have been better._

" _You killed us."_

_This time the words are spoken only by a single voice, quiet and innocent. The one life that made his worth living, and the same one destroyed his._

_Abigail._

" _You killed us."_

* * *

Cantis awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. It was early spring in the mountains, snow all over the ground, and he was still dying of heat from his nightmares. Stumbling to his feet and grabbing a coat from the rack, he went running out into the cold.

Taking in a deep breath, he smiled a little again at the cold, refreshing mountain air. Shivering as he began to cool down, he pulled his overcoat on once more, reluctant to return to bed.

"Can't sleep?"

He whipped around, and his jaw dropped.

"Liam?"

Sure enough, there stood his husband beneath the shadow of the mountain. It might seem to anyone else that he were the same as when Cantis had "left" the Red Templars, but he hadn't made a decade of marriage without knowing better. Liam's normally powerful and confidant stance was meek and driven back, his eyes wide with a tinge of red deep inside of them, his normally kept and trimmed beard allowed to grow out the slightest bit. Not much, but definitely off.

"What you doing here?" Cantis asked, utterly amazed. This wasn't some pale demonic imitation, this was _him_. For a moment he felt vaguely embarrassed he wasn't wearing a shirt under his coat, not that Liam would normally care.

"Here to talk some sense into you, you stupid man." Liam chided angrily, stepping forward and out of the darkness of the night, torch light flickering across his face. "Word's come in that you just rampaged through Therinfal and butchered all our best men!" He stepped forward again, nearly screaming in absolute rage, and Cantis back up a step in balance, his heart sinking in his chest. "What the hell were you thinking?! What were you trying to accomplish?! Besides destroying our brotherhood?!" He stepped forward again, and Cantis could see the rage mixed with tears in his eyes, Liam's whole body shaking in anger and betrayal. "Besides betraying me?"

Cantis took a dry swallow, closing his eyes a moment before opening them again to face what he had done. "Did you _see_ the Temple?" He asked in disbelief, biting hard on his lip. "Liam, there was _ten thousand_ innocent people in there! Samson made me butcher them all!"

Liam shook his head. "That's why you left, ya dolt!" He began to hiss so hard that his accent began to shine through. "Remember? We were worried Justinia was going to try and play the Mages and Templars against one another! Even if she did get stuck in her own trap, she still managed to do just that."

He was silent a moment, utterly dumbfounded that Samson had twisted the truth so completely into his favour. What else had Samson corrupted as such?

"Is that the bullshit Samson's feeding you?!" He shouted at last, utterly enraged that his bitter struggle had been so sickeningly simplified. "Liam, listen to me. Justinia had nothing to do with the explosion. _Samson_ did it, and he tricked me into helping him."

Liam narrowed his eyes at Cantis, emphasising the red pinprick in the middle of them. "Samson's just a man." He shook his head. "The Mages there had power enough to destroy all of Thedas, but… Samson?" He paused a moment before shaking his head again. "Look, Cantis: I love you. Everyone back home loves you, all of the other Red Templars too. Come back with me. Samson agreed to let me come here and see if I can convince you to come home. You're hurt, and scared. Let me help. I'm sure everyone will understand and welcome you back." He tilted his head a little to the side, eyes pathetic and pleading. "Please?"

Cantis bit his lip even harder, almost able to taste the blood under his skin. It was tempting, but after everything he had seen? All that the Lyrium had done?

"And do what?" He asked, his voice as pathetic as Liam's gaze. "Go back to being addicted to Lyrium? Come help you destroy the people I've been helping?" He made a grand, sweeping gesture over Haven. "Liam, we have children here. Am I just supposed to go back with you, help you slaughter all of this?"

Liam's hopeful gaze fell into a harshness, his expression hardening. "So that's it?" He asked bitterly. "Just like that? Ten years of marriage, raise a child together, and now it's over? You're just going to side with… with our worst enemies, betray everyone you know?"

"Do the opposite!" Cantis shouted the obvious answer. "Liam, please, stay here with me." Liam shook his head slowly, eyes narrowed. "Why?" Cantis pleaded, taking another step forward. "I know what happened! Why is it so hard for you to trust my judgement on this?!"

" **Because Abigail's death was your fault!** " He screamed, and Cantis froze completely. That was something Liam had never talked about, never comforting Cantis' guilt or blaming him. Cantis had half wanted to hear it for years, to have someone to blame him, for life to bring some sort of a karmic retribution onto him. And here and now...

Cantis fell against the wall to his shack, leaning on it as his legs began to cease their function, shock running it's way through his mind. Liam's eyes opened, realizing what he had said, and went rushing to Cantis' side. Cantis began laughing and crying at the same time, a ridiculous, hysterical smile on his face.

"Love, I.." Liam stammered, whatever loyalties and rivalry having been shattered in the moment. "I didn't realize… I didn't mean to..."

"You know," He interrupted, laughing. "I've waited years for you to say that to me. And now that you've said it..." He shook his head sadly. "You're right, you know. It was completely my fault." He looked up once more, his wet, sad eyes meeting Liam's shocked ones. "But can't I try and do better? Liam, I'm trying to make this world a better place. I'm trying to make this world a little brighter for having me in it."

"It _is_." Liam insisted, biting his own lip. "I love you, the whole world is better because you're in it. But I dedicated myself to being a Red Templar, to making this world even better, to destroy this… filthy corruption that you're siding with here. Don't make me choose."

"I can't." Cantis shook his head sadly. "I just can't go with you, Liam."

Liam sighed, giving a tiny nod. "I know." He whispered, his voice rasping. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"You know that Samson's going to come here." Liam said, his voice no longer angry or kind in any way. "You know he's going to be bringing the Red Templars down here, sooner or later. There's nothing any of us can do about it." He swallowed hard, unable to speak a moment before continuing. "And you also know that I'm going to have to be with him." Cantis nodded sadly. "Look. I'll try and delay it as much as I can. Just… leave, okay? Just go home, head to Ostwick or wherever. Take the children living here with you, get them out of here."

"I'll…" Cantis looked up, about to reject it until he saw the pain of regret in his husband's eyes. "I'll consider it."

Liam nodded sadly. "Alright. And if you're here..." He shook his head. "Either way, I don't… don't think we can see each other again, least not for a long time." He turned to leave. "Goodbye, love. Cantis nodded, unable to look away as his husband left.

"'Bye Liam. I love you, and I always will."


	13. Burn Notice

_Author's Note: And here I had always thought that heart problems were for old people. I've been going from doctor to doctor the last few days, unable to work, so chapters might wind up being a bit erradic in appearance, since IDK how much time I'll be at home. Though on the bright side, for the moment I've had a lot of time to write, so here's another chapter for you guys. :)_

_For anyone who reads Faith From Ashes, I've hit a little bit of a snag in that story in that I'm not sure how they'll find the Lasdy of The Forest from where they are in the story. If anyone's a suggestion, would love to hear it, otherwise I'm sure I'lll puzzle it out in a day or two and start on another chapter._

* * *

"Halt!" A voice called, and their party stopped in their tracks. They were standing outside of Redcliffe after a tiring day of travel on foot, only to have found the gates shut and men standing on the wall above them, fully armed. "City's full to bursting. No more refugees, you'll have to head elsewhere."

Cantis bit his lip hard. They had been freely admitted before. But now the Red Templars knew they would be coming, didn't they?

"We've been invited in." He called, trying to bluff his way in. "By the Arl's orders."

The man shook his head. "You're in the wrong place, then. Arl's been usurped, city's under new management. You'd best go to Denerim and look for 'im there."

"Usurped?" Leliana asked in shock, stepping forward. "By who?"

The man shrugged. "What do I look like, a book? Look lady, I just guard the gate. Be off."

Cantis turned to face Leliana, who's face was wrinkled as she tried to puzzle out what what happened, her eyes narrowed. "What now?"

"Come on." She said, turning away and leading the way. She seemed to be walking away from the city entirely until they were out of sight of the guard. Following close, Cantis and the rest were lead into the bushes that covered the approach of the gate, and followed her all the way up to the wall, ducking out of sight to keep from guard's.

Leliana looked up and down it, running from section to the section of the wall, clearly looking for something. It didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for: A small hole in the wall where two of the pieces didn't quite align. It took quite some work to slip everyone through, particularly when they had to enlarge the gap for Iron Bull.

They ducked behind a warehouse, and then out into the streets to blend into the moving crowds. All that they could do was follow Leliana, the master of this, who effortlessly moved from crowd to crowd. One moment she could be pretending to be interested in a stall selling shoes, the next she could be discussing the prices of meat with a group of friends. It awed him how easily she did it, but she was the spymaster for a reason.

In the brief time he spent there, it turned out that Redcliffe was now nearly as miserable as Therinfal, the town having gone downhill ever since his last visit. Refugees from the war had filled the city full to bursting, and there was no longer enough food left to go around, especially now that all of the Arl's trade contacts had gone with him. Cantis briefly resolved to come back as soon as the Breach was dealt with before focusing himself on mimicking Leliana.

Leliana led the way, apparently having managed to get their key and go back to Haven in less then half of the time it took them to recruit the Templars. The town was now fit to overflowing with refugees from the war, and the city guards were nowhere to be seen keeping any sort of order. Therinfal had been cold, desolate and miserable, and here was hot, crowded and miserable.

But soon they were out of the heat and noise, and found themselves following the Spymaster down the tunnel of the windmill and into the heart of Redcliffe.

"How do you know of this place?" He asked as they trekked through the empty building, trying not to focus on the empty jail cells they had been moving through, and the ones that weren't… quite as empty.

"It's a long story." She sighed, never once slowing her pace as they exited out and into the castle's corridors, eerily empty and devoid of life. "I watched men die by the dozens defending their homes when evil came. Watched the dead rise from the ground, empty, soulless husks. Watched a mother give her blood, her life, to give her son another chance at life."

Cantis shivered, dark memories of all the burned villages he had seen coming back to him. All of the innocents caught in the way of the Mages nad Templars, the same people now being slaughtered by the Red Templars after he and his brothers had sworn to protect them. He shouldn't have asked, given how soaked her history was in blood. Redcliffe had a violent history, and if Leliana were involved…

He shook off the thought, deeming himself unfit to pass any sort of judgement. She had done what she had to, and had never done anything worse than him. Not to mention she had made it this far with a living child.

"We've just simply can't live with these arrangements!" They could hear shouting from the great hall, lowing themselves and moving slower as they moved in. Standing in front of the throne was Louis, and in front of him was an elven woman in blue robes, the same one who had been yelling. He was flanked by nearly a dozen Red Templars, ones that were far beyond the appearance of being human and were now crystallized perversions of men.

"Live with it." Louis said in a callous, cold voice that had no sympathy to it, not sounding anything at all like the same man Cantis had known.

The elf woman gave an annoyed groan, giving an angry gesture. "What do you expect from us, then? We have no Lyrium to work with, except this… imposter kind you've given us. We've suffering without proper equipment, we've nowhere to sleep..."

Louis sighed in turn, and then promptly hit her across the face, the loud sound echoing throughout the walls of the massive castle. She cried out once, and then fell to the ground. "I'm not here to take care of you." He seethed, standing over her. "You're not going to find a better deal than us anywhere, you dumb bitch."

Taking a deep breath, Cantis stood and strode out of the shadows, knowing he wouldn't find a better opening. "Except right here, perhaps."

All eyes turned to him, and all of his followers followed him into the opening. "Ah." The Chevalier smiled grimly. "Our poor lost boy has come back, has he?" He gave a small laugh. "Liam and Samson seem to be missing you for whatever reason. Me, I'm just glad to know my enemy, traitor."

"Don't make me do anything we're going to regret, _Chevalier_."

"Regret?" He chuckled. "The only thing you're going to regret is being here at all, _Herald_." He leaned down and picked the woman up by the scruff of the neck, throwing her effortlessly in Cantis' direction. "You want this bitch? Be my guest. How she got to be the _'Leader'_ of those rebel arses, I'll never know. Whiniest woman I've ever met."

"Just like that?" Cantis asked suspiciously, taking a single step towards the fallen woman. "Something's wrong. You just hand her over without any trouble? And where are the rest of the Red Templars?" His hands fell to his swords. "Louis?"

The Chevalier just smiled cruelly. "You don't suppose us all brain dead, do you boy? You don't think we didn't guess that you'd show up here, especially after that stunt at Therinfal?" He shrugged. "Especially after that, we figured you'd show up with all your people." He gestured behind Cantis, who had a growing sense of dread in his chest. Sure enough, he had brought all of his companions with him to bear. Cullen and Josephine had stayed behind in Haven, but beyond that…

"Haven." He whispered, and Louis smiled a little wider. "You… absolute bastard."

"That the best that lecherous, brain dead head can think of?" The Chevalier laughed. Then he turned to the other Red Templars. "Go on, earn your places, boys. Kill 'em."

Cantis shouted in rage and drew a knife form his belt and throwing it with all his might. It drove home deep into Louis' chest, and he let out a pained scream, falling to his knees as he cursed in Orlesian.

Drawing their weapons, the faced off in a brief confrontation with the soldiers. These Red Templars were leagues above the ones at Therinfal, the Lyrium having corrupted them further and given them power so far above that of a normal man. It was a pitched and difficult fight, but they prevailed soon enough.

Looking back over, Cantis realized the Chevalier was missing now, having avoided the fight and run off. _Coward_. But there was nothing he could do. They had to make haste, and now.

"You." He pointed at the fallen woman, who was still lying there, staring in horror. "You the leader of the Mages?" She nodded, scrambling to her feet. "We're Inquisition, and we need mages to fix that hole in the Sky. You willing to help?"

"Anything's better than here." She nodded. "I can take you to our camp."

He nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Okay. We have to hurry, fast as you can, or we're all dead. Hear me?" She nodded. "Then lead the way."

* * *

Grace awoke with a start to a distant, droning noise in the distance. She sat up, shivering in the cold. It was low and quiet, but she couldn't help but focus in on it. Her mind told her that it was probably just a bug or something of the sort, what mommy would tell her, but it wouldn't go away from her mind.

She pushed away her covers, holding tight onto Feathers, her stuffed griffon plush toy, and got up. It was cold, so cold, even as she pulled a thick jacket over her nightgown. Mama was still gone, so she ran to the next available person.

"Auntie Josie?" She asked, pushing open the door to Josephine's room. It was nicer than most the rest of Haven, with plush blankets and soft pillows all across her bed, along with fuzzy carpets and fancy wardrobes. Josephine wasn't really her aunt, but she may as well have been, since both Leliana was a single child, and Mara had no idea who her siblings might be.

"Mmm?" She rolled over, giving a quiet groan of complaint. "Gracie? What time is it?"

"I don't know." Grace admitted, clambering onto the bed to sit right up next to Josephine. "I got woken up by a scary noise, can you come look at it?"

Josephine rolled over onto her back, rubbing her eyes. It was times like these that she had to remember her diplomacy training from Antiva. Not to mention Leliana would kill her if she found out that she hadn't helped her daughter sleep.

"Of course I will." She groaned, sitting up to the cold, refreshing air of the night. "I'm always here for you, little sweetie."

"I know." Grace's innocent, silly little smile made it all worth it. "I love you, Aunt Josie."

"I love you too." Josephine's heart fluttered in her chest as she stretched and stood before following Gracie to her room. It was a small price to pay, a quick check under the bed for Darkspawn in exchange for a child's love.

"So where was the scary noise?" She yawned as they entered into Grace's little room, pulling back the curtains of the window when Grace pointed to it. "I'm sure it's noting, sweetie. Why don-"

She froze.

There was an army of armed men cross the horizon. She could barely see in the darkness, but they were carrying torches and lanterns, shining in the thick blanket of the night. She briefly thought, desperately thinking of an explanation, but… no. Cantis and his companions were still gone, surely, but the overwhelming majority of their soldiers were still here. Certainly not an army.

Oh no.

"Aunt Josie?" Grace called, her voice low and worried now. "What's wrong?"

Josephine swallowed hard. She didn't want to worry Grace any more than she had to, especially with how scared the little one was of going outside already. But she couldn't just pretend that everything was fine if it wasn't.

"I don't know." She admitted, keeping her voice calm and soft, putting a hand on either of Grace's shoulders. "Stay here. I'm going to go talk to the soldiers." She gave a small, comforting smile. "Sit right here, alright? We'll make sure everything's okay."

"What's happening?" Grace sat up, eyes widening. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't know." She repeated. "Stay right there."

* * *

For all of the time the Inquisition had spent attempting to retrofit the settlement into a military installation, they couldn't be ready for what would come next. They had held against all that had come for them at this point, from random bandit attacks to well disciplined rogue Templars attempting to tear them down.

But this was unlike anything they had been ready for. The Red Templars came upon them as a highly trained and well organized army, surrounding the poor town unexpectedly and shattering their way through the barricades and filling the town with soldiers. Josephine watched from the Chantry in rooted horror, hearing the terrified screams and clamour of pitched battle. For a moment, it seemed the battle might be over in mere minutes.

But it was then that a hero stepped forward.

Cullen rallied his troops to him, shouting and ordering troops with a voice that carried across the mountain, inspiring them to fight alongside him with a zealous vigour that even the most mutated of their foes couldn't match. All under the mountain came to his side to fend back the Red Templars, heedless of their order or allegiance. Soldiers, Templars, visiting dignitaries… all with came to defend the village.

The Red Templars were taken aback by this ferocious charge, stumbling back to try and regroup; they hadn't expect any sort of resistance of this sort. These were boys they were assaulting, young men more accustomed to farming and hunting than war. But this was their home, and they wouldn't surrender it easily.

The men of the Inquisition didn't let up as the Red Templar ranks broke. They continued charging, slashing and butchering, their hatred of these corrupted husks bitter and deep. Their blades and spears gleamed bright and cold in the shadow of the moonlight, deadly the fury of those who held them. The yells and screaming was deafening as the Red Templars' blood was spilled onto the ground, their men driven back.

Just as the Red Tempalrs fell back into the valley to regroup their numbers, more came charging from the mouth of the valley. Cantis, his companions, and nearly a hundred mages came galloping on horse back, blades shining in their hands. The army screamed and tried to flee, but were trampled and cut down in the men's path, hundreds falling before they reached Haven.

"Damnit." He swore as he reached the village and the lines of soldiers, jumping down from his horse. "I was hoping we'd beaten them here." In spite of their small victory here, dozens of men had already died defending Haven, and the Red Templars were wounded, not beaten. They were still heavily outnumbered, and they all knew their chances of survival were slim.

"Are these the Mages?" Cullen asked, more than a little frantic. Cantis nodded. "Good. Take the Templars and get to the summit. We have to get the Breach closed, before they can get up there again." They all knew what was at stake here. If the enemy made it up there with whatever orb, ripped the Breach further open…

"On it!" He shouted, running towards the summit and shouting for Templars and Mages alike to follow him.

* * *

Amazingly, the Breach didn't take long to close. The Mark had come close to closing it before, and now the Templars were present to suppress it's might, and the Mages were there to provide the Mark with more chaotic energy. It still took an astounding amount of energy and willpower, but it soon heaved and gave on final, massive explosion that knocked them all from their feet. The whole of the world could see the Breach explode one last time in a fiery, whirling mass of green energy before settling once more.

It was over.

At least, that was what Cantis thought until he could hear the fighting carrying on below. It wasn't over, not yet. Not while Samson continued to breathe, not as long as the possibility of them creating another Breach still existed.

* * *

Grace wished she had listened to Josephine. She had heard the scream and, being the innocent child she was, had come to help. Now she was hiding behind an overturned produce cart, crying and covering her ears as a battle raged behind her.

She tried desperately to think of happy things, clutching to messere Feathers, thinking of eggs and bacon, of cake on her birthday. Rain on summer nights, hugs from mom when she couldn't sleep.

A rough hand grasped at her collar, pulling her out from her hiding place, and she screamed, kicking and thrashing.

"Oi!" He called to the other Red Templars, turning his back from her even a his hand held tight. "What we we do with the kid?"

Grace leaned up and bit his hand as hard as she could. He cried out and let go of her, and she went running as fast as her feet would carry her. It was a valiant effort, but soon he caught up to her, snarling like an anal as she caught her again, lifting her up like a small, annoying animal.

"To hell with it." He sighed and drew his sword, making her scream and thrash harder. _Eggs and bacon, cake on birthdays._

Just before he began to bring his blade to bear, the man froze, opening his mouth as if screaming, but no sound came out. A moment later, blood streamed down his lip and he fell to the ground, bringing her with him.

Behind where he had been standing was Cantis, standing against he dark of the night, a sword in either hand. He looked her dead in the eyes, and said only one thing.

"Run."

She didn't hesitate a moment, and went sprinting as fast as her little legs could go, running back to the Chantry, which was now filled with soldiers and all of the people who couldn't fight. Seeing her mother, she jumped into her arms and cried out. "Mama!"

"Gracie!" Leliana's voice caught in her voice, shouting and crying, enveloping her daughter in her arms. "Thank the Maker! Where have you been?! I've been worried sick."

"There… there were bad people out there." She stammered, and Leliana nodded sadly. "They tried to hurt me. That nice man with the glowing hand saved me."

Leliana's eyes widened at that, and then she looked past Grace to the burning village behind her. As she spoke, Cantis and the rest of the soldiers moved into the Chantry, looking bloody and exhausted.

"We've managed to drive them back again." Cantis explained, panting as he cleaned blood from his coat. "We have a minute while they regroup." He shook his head. "I don't think we can survive another assault."

"I know." Cullen nodded, looking stressed out of his mind. "I don't know what we can do. The only thing I can think of that would do anything to them is if we were to cause an avalanche, if someone could reach the siege equipment."

Cantis shook his head. "No way someone could reach it, load it, and aim it before they get back here. To have any chance of hitting a single one of them, they'd have to bury Haven with it."

Cullen nodded grimly. "We're dying, but maybe we can take them with us."

"No!" Josephine shouted, and they turned to face her. "You're not seriously considering that, are you?" She looked form man to man, neither of whom would meet her gaze. "We have _children_ here. This is people's homes, not to mention how many innocents we'd bury."

"And you think the Red Templars would let them go anyway?" Cullen sighed, exasperated. "Look, they're here for two things: Us, and the place where they can tear the veil again. Even if we just let they were to spare us all, they'd still rip open the Breach again, and all of this will have been for nothing."

"Wait." Leliana held up a hand, and they turned to see her. "There's a secret passageway. We used it to find this place during the Blight, looking for Andraste's ashes. We can use it to make our way to the ridge outside. Once the rest of us are in that tunnel, someone could collapse Haven with an avalanche and we'd be safe, and they wouldn't get Haven or a way to reopen the Breach."

"Who would be stupid enough to stay behind while the rest of us escape with our lives?" Cullen asked, looking around as he bit his lip. Impossible, deciding who he would have to order to their deaths.

Cantis drew both of his blades, nodding with grim determination. "Scorched earth, got it. If we can't keep Haven, then I'll make sure they can't capture it. Get them out of here, commander."

"You're just going to go out there?" Josephine's voice dropped, as did her heart in her chest. "Herald, I..."

Cantis smiled grimly. "This is all my fault, Lady Montilyet. And I'm going to be the one to fix this, whatever that costs." He turned to the doors. "Hurry, I don't know how long I can wait out there."

Then he exited out and into the darkness. Haven was utterly deserted. The Red Templars had been driven back, and they rarely attacked in individuals, unless they were to send in an assassin or something of the sort. They were untrained in individual tactics, and only ever attacked as a pack.

He looked around as he reached the centre of the market. The siege equipment was just over the road, it would only take-

"And here I was hoping you'd run."

Cantis whipped around, and his heart fell in his chest.

Behind him stood Liam.


	14. Agony of Regret

"I had hoped you wouldn't be here." Cantis admitted, taking a step back as Liam stepped towards him, keeping an equal distance. "Stupid of me, really." Dread knotted in his chest, his mouth running dry as the meaning of this meeting sank in.

"You know I had to be." He said, and Cantis nodded sadly. "Damnit, I told you to run." His voice was ragged, as if he hadn't spoken in years.

Cantis just shook his head, not daring at all to meet Liam's eyes. "You knew I wouldn't."

"I did." Liam bit his lip, eyes shining wet. "We both knew it would end this way, didn't we?"

"We did. I'm sorry, Liam, but I have to do what I think is right, to make this world the best one it can be. For Abigail."

Liam gave a pained sigh. "Right or wrong, you betrayed us, damnit. You betrayed us, our whole brotherhood. Me. We could have accomplished so much, had you just stayed with us. We could have made a new world, a better world. Torn down the shackles of the Chantry, and forced this world to put down it's weapons in the pursuit of peace."

Cantis closed his eyes a moment, doing his best not to cry at the inevitable conclusion this would come to. He drooped his shoulders and struggled to control his breathing, anything to get control of himself again. The Red Templars were as important to Liam now as he ever was, maybe more. He couldn't stop the bitter taste in his mouth, and the surge of pain welling up within him. Liam stood before him, shoulder's tense, rigid. Memories flooded his mind. Happier days, those of a day before they had to live in darkness. Wedding vows.

"You know that I hate this world as much as you do." His voice caught, ragged and broken. "You know how much I hate the corruption, the control, the governments that sit idly by while strong men suffer and die in their name." He opened his eyes again, meeting Liam's. "But we don't have the right to make the world perfect."

"We have the responsibility." He whispered, shaking his head slightly. "I guess this is it, then. Just…" His voice caught a moment before he cleared his throat painfully. "Just remember that I love you."

"I love you too."

Liam stepped forward, brandishing a blade with a trembling hand, and Cantis was much too reminded of the boy he had married, of the one he had saved from the guardsmen so many years back. The man he had lost a child with, who had been there as they dealt with their grief together. Of the man he had _raised_ a child with.

"Come on, then."

Cantis nodded, stepping forward with both blades gleaming even as his heart cried and begged.

"Let's finish this."

It was the strangest fight either man had ever been involved in. Both of them knew the other perfectly, and neither gained any sort of advantage. Liam fought with a single sword, quick, accurate and methodical, while Cantis' twin blades crashed down one after another in a violent volley. Both knew the other's weakness' and strengths, making it nearly impossible for one to even come close to wounding the other. Ontop of that, neither man wanted to hurt the other, not really, and even when an opportunity arose, the subconscious hesitation that they suffered was enough for them to recover and keep fighting.

Liam dragged Cantis's blades down, then struck him hard across the face. Cantis's head snapped back with the force of the blow. He stumbled back, and the room spun. A flash of metal as Liam's plated boot slammed him against the jaw. The battle should have ended there, but something gave him pause, some remorse at the possibility that this was real, that he was actually considering this, and Cantis acted, driving a knife into Liam's leg and dragging the Templar down with him.

Liam crashed onto the ground, his blade clattering to the ground beside him. He reached for it, but Cantis lunged for it, knocking it out of either man's reach. Liam lashed out, brutally kicking Cantis in the head once more and drew a serrated combat knife from his belt as he scrambled to his feet, now the only one armed.

He lunged forward, Cantis barely able to scramble from it's path in time as he rolled onto his feet. Again and again Liam came forward, swinging his blade through empty air, not giving Cantis an opportunity to reach for one of the blades fallen onto the ground, lest he lost in a moment

He lunged once more, and Cantis didn't turn this time, instead knocking Liam's hand to the side and punching in the side of the face again and again, driving his unexpected advantage. Panicking, Liam drove his blade down as far as he could, barely able to see until he heard his husband's screams of pure agony.

His chest dropped when he saw what he had done.

The blade had gone right across Cantis' left eye, and blood now flowed freely from the gouged socket, a graphic and gruesome display. Cantis fell to his knees, screaming horror as he realized he was now blind in that eye. Liam froze in shock, his heart pounding as he realized what he had done to someone that he loved, and then made a half hearted lunge at the fallen Herald to finish the battle.

Then Cantis struck. He was incredible pain, it was true, but he was also still able to fight through it, like any soldier who had seen as much battle as him. He leapt to his feet and to the side of Liam's blade, grabbing his wrist and shattering the bone with a twist. Liam screamed, and his heart ached, but Cantis knew what had to happen.

He grabbed Liam's broken arm, and moved the blade upwards, slashing the side of Liam's throat.

Liam fell to the ground, his screams audible even to the Inquisition soldiers in the tunnels under the village. He stumbled backwards and ran into a wall, sliding back down as blood slid down his neck and chest. He clutched at it, and soon his hand was covered in crimson darkness.

He looked up, trying desperately to breathe even as it began harder and harder. He looked up, and saw Cantis standing over him, wounded but still very much alive, his blades in either hand now."Don't… don't think..." He rasped, and Cantis just stared at him mutely. "That I'm going to say I was wrong… that I'll see the error of my ways as I die." He took a shaky, bloody breath, finding it nearly impossible to stay awake. "It's too late for me to weep, and wonder what might have been. I'm sure you understand." Cantis took a shaking breath and nodded. "Still… I want you to know, whatever happens here and now, that I love you. And that… despite all of this, I'm proud of you." Cantis raised an eyebrow, looking at him sadly. "You're strong, noble and have great conviction. Even fighting you as an enemy, I can admire that. Maybe even more, now."

"It's okay." Cantis soothed, kneeling beside him. His heart broke, aching as he cried from the single eye still capable of such a thing, and blood streaming from the other in a mirror image. "Tell Abigail I'm sorry, okay?"

Liam shook his head. "Nothing… nothing to be s-sorry for." He laid his head back, and reached into his jacket. "Just… tell me why. Why did you do it? Side with our worst enemies? Kill your brothers?"

"To save the world."

Liam gave a last smile, shaking his head sadly as he breathed in blood and giving a chuckle filled with sadness and death.

"I hope that world is a good one." He laid his head back, and pulled his hand out of his jacket, holding something that took Cantis' breath away.

Samson's orb.

He had stolen the object and brought it with him to Haven, knowing that Cantis would kill him. Even though he didn't agree with what Cantis was doing, he still loved him, and knew that this would make his life, and time of destroying the Red Templars, easier. And so long as it was _him_ leading the world, the Inquisition, it would be alright.

Liam Trevelyan died with a smile on his face.

* * *

 When the rest of the Inquisition exited out and onto the ridge from the tunnels, they were disheartened to find that Haven still stood. But looking through Cullen's spyglass, they discovered something astonishing.

The Red Templars hadn't overrun Haven.

Cantis still held the line, completely by himself. He was hysterical, beside himself as he realized the sheer magnitude of the crime he had committed, as he realized how empty and dark his world was now, now that everything and everyone he had every loved had died. He screamed out as he dared, begged the world to take him too. Dozens of Red Templars assaulted the gates of Haven, but grief shielded him better than any armour and no blow ever landed upon him.

The clouds were torn by a whisper of doom on a wary wind, and the dark, cold moon shone down upon the crimson sin upon the snow. To those on the ridge, it seemed nearly impossible. Save for Leliana and her wife, and Cullen with the Champion of Kirkwall, none had ever seen such an impressive display of one person against such odds. The vanguard of the Red Templars came crashing down upon him with howling war cries, and rove in upon him like waves upon cliffs of sand. But in spite of their efforts, none could so much as touch him as he cut his way through to the artillery pieces.

Reaching the ballistae, Cantis stopped in his tracks.

There stood Samson.

"Evening, _Herald_." He spat into the snow, his voice angry and betrayed, finally able to confront the fallen student he had loved and lost. In his hands he held the same crossbow he had used to shoot Cantis in the back, having brought it out of a sense of justice.

"Cut the shit, Samson." Cantis hissed. In his eyes was no longer any sort of remorse or defeat. Now there only stood adamant steel and a desperate want for some sort of redemption. He was here to die, there was no lying to himself about that. And he was going to take everyone down with him as he did, end this horror forever and bury the damned orb under a mountain of snow.

"Fine." He shrugged nonchalantly, a hardline determination in his eyes as he gritted his teeth in anger. "What would you rather talk about, then? Economics? The weather perhaps?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe how you stabbed all of us in the back, how you became a traitor and killed your brothers? Hm? What do you think about that, _Herald_?" He spoke Cantis' title like as an insult, a mark of his complete and utter betrayal of everything he had once stood for.

"That's some odd judgement," As he spoke, he stepped to the side, allowing Samson to circle him, and drawing closer to the ballista in turn. "Coming from the man who quite literally shot me in the back. Not to mention the same one who made me set the world on fire, who manipulated me into causing the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. When what we stood for was protecting those same innocents."

"Don't you dare compare me to you." Samson hissed, stopping in his tracks so that Cantis couldn't edge another inch towards the ballista without receiving a bolt in turn. "I might have taught you, kept you under my wing, but what you have done is completely on you."

Cantis shrugged, knowing that he was right. "I suppose it is." Whatever Samson had said or done to him, he was the architect of his own actions, to whatever end that might be, even the tragic way this had ended. "Not like it matters any more. It's over, Samson. The Breach is gone."

Samson gave a short laugh, shaking his head even while never straying the aim of his crossbow. "You think so, do you? We'll tear a new one open, again and again if we have to." Cantis gave a small, knowing smile. Not without their orb, they wouldn't. Whatever it did, it was obviously a key to this, and they wouldn't be able to claim it if this worked. "All I want is to understand." His eyes widened a little, and sadness seeped through even as he tightened his grip. "Why? You can't think that these people will thank, or even ever accept you for what you've done. They will inevitably turn their backs on you. And yet you fight, you resist. Why?"

Cantis gritted his teeth angrily. He needn't explain himself to Samson, not after everything that happened. But this felt right, like something that needed to be said. Finally, he all but screamed the thought that had driven him through hell and back.

" _ **Because I have to! Because no one else will! Because someone, anyone, must make amends for what we've done!**_ "

At that, he rolled form the path of the bolt, narrowly dodging death, and then brought his blade down upon the rope that held the ballista bolt in place. A moment later, it went crashing into the mountainside and snow came crashing down in a mighty avalanche down up Haven, crushing the ranks of Red Templars that still remained, destroying the blood soaked village once and for all. As it did, Samson ran as fast as his feet would carry him.

Stepping away, Cantis smiled as he saw the beauty of annihilation come crashing down upon the world around him.

_Redemption_.

He closed his eyes, and raised his arms, letting the wave snow take him away to see Liam and Abigail once more.


	15. From the Ashes

_Author's Note: Sorry that this one's a little boring, we're in the down slope for a bit since Haven just fell. Don't worry, more fun stuff will be coming. Also, it turns out my heart problem is much more serious then we thought, so it seems I'll be in the hospital a while, which should lead to more stories for you guys._

_Also, since I'm paranoid about plagiarism, I feel I should point out that I did not write Cantis' song/poem. It's an edited version of_ _"_ _Не для меня_ _"_ _, better known as "Not for me_ _"_ _, written during the Russian Civil war. Unfortunately, I couldn't for the life of me find a name of the writer._ _It's a beautiful poem, and I didn't mean to steal it, only use it accent the tone of this chapter. I also believe it's within the public domain, especially considering it's close to over a hundred years old at this point._

* * *

 Cantis awoke to find himself utterly alone, standing in the middle of a raging blizzard. It was cold, so incredibly cold, and everything hurt so much. Looking around in a haze, he realized he had been sleepwalking, of a sort. For a moment he wondered if he was dead, in some sort of hell for people like him, but then shook his head. Of course not, that was just silly. But if he wasn't dead, then… where was he?

Then it hit him.

He was still alive.

He looked around frantically now, looking for some sort of explanation. The last thing he had remembered was the avalanche falling on him, and then... darkness. Where was he? How was he still alive? _Why_ was he still alive?

He fell to his knees, and began to sob from the one eye still capable of it. Now he was utterly convinced that they could be no Maker, for no god could be so cruel as to have spared his life. Not when so many good people had fallen before him. Now he was utterly alone in the world, everything he had fought and bled for now dead and gone and passed into another life.

His blades stayed sheathed at his sides, and he considered a moment doing what life had failed to do so many times over. But then he felt something else at his side.

Samson's orb.

He had brought it with him in hopes that the avalanche would bury it with him under such a mountain of snow that no man could ever know of it's existence again. But he had survived, and so had it. His nostrils flared, and he hissed under his breath. Of course.

And it was at that, that he knew what he had to do. He couldn't be dead yet. Not here. Far too easy to find, would be simple for anyone to find him and use this… _thing_ to undo all of the sacrifices that had happened that had brought him to this point. For all of their losses, the Red Templars would more than likely still exist, and he couldn't allow them to find this again. Much as it hurt, he knew that he couldn't let that happen. That Liam wouldn't have wanted that, that he couldn't betray everything he had ever fought for, much as he might want to.

Standing with a great heaving sigh, he began to march through the snow once more. This thing had to be destroyed, whatever the cost.

In the distance of the raging blizzard, he saw a campfire without an ember to it. More than that, there was a trail of hundreds of footprints. The Inquisition.

Nodding to himself, he followed their trail through the hellish conditions, quietly crying once more as he trudged on.

* * *

 Grace woke up screaming, and it only took a moment for her to find herself enveloped in her mother's warm embrace, soothing words whispered in her ear.

"Mama." She rasped, crying, sobbing into her mother's breast. "I… I couldn't… I was dreaming of Haven..."

"I know, baby." Leliana whispered, curling her daughter into her arms. She was shaking so hard, crying into the heavy wool of Leliana's shirt, and Leliana's heart ached that she couldn't do more for her. "It's okay, it's okay. Mama's here, I've got you. I love you. It's all okay. I'm here."

Ever since Haven, she had been showing signs of serious trauma. Everyone else was adults, at least able to understand and process the thoughts, and even then some of them would never fully recover from the horrors of what they had seen in battle. But Grace was a sweet, innocent child with a big heart, and the loss of Haven hurt her more than anyone else.

"I'm so scared." She whispered, still shaking in her mother's arms. Leliana felt so helpless to protect her daughter. From bandits or Templars, she could destroy them all and ensure they never returned. But there was nothing she could do to protect her so much from her own mind. She couldn't protect her little girl, and she felt useless and as a failure for that.

"I know." Leliana tried, using her most soothing voice, thinking of what Mara would do were she here. "You're safe, mon rêvé. No one's going to hurt you. We're all safe, I promise." Her voice cracked as she added onto that: "I'll protect you. I won't fail you again."

Grace took a deep, heavy breath, and then nodded slowly. Of course it was going to be alright. Mama was here, and she always would be. There was no one in the world that she trusted more, the woman who had taken her from the streets and given her a new home, had taken up the mantle of being her mother. If she said it was alright, then it would be, much as it hurt.

Feeling Grace shiver in her arms, Leliana looked down. She wasn't shaking, not anymore. Rather, she was cold. _Freezing_ in the subzero conditions of the mountainside. She was already wearing Leliana coat over her nightgown, but she was still so cold in the inhospitable conditions.

Leliana took a deep breath, and took off her shirt, leaving her with only breastband on. "Here." She gave a reassuring smile as she bundled her daughter in it. "This is the best I can do for you, this should keep you a little warmer. Okay, sweetie?"

"But you'll be cold." Grace looked up with wide eyes, and Leliana smiled. Always worried about others, even when she was the one in danger of freezing to death.

"Listen to me." Leliana said seriously, putting a hand on either of Grace's shoulders as she met her eyes. "If you can be brave about everything that's happened, then I can be brave and deal with the cold. Okay?"

"Okay." Grace nodded, giving a small smile. "If… if you get cold, I can give it back."

Leliana just smiled, giving a nod that she didn't mean. "Okay, I promise I'll tell you." Not likely, but she should still reassure her. Grace smiled widely, giving her mother one more big hug, and then laid back down to go to bed once more.

Smiling, Leliana left the tent. Eyes were upon her and her figure, but she couldn't find a reason to care. Her daughter was safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Someone's coming!" One of the soldiers shouted, and all who were awake turned to it. Sure enough, there was a lone silhouette in the blizzard. They readied their weapons, ready to shout for the others to wake up if it turned to be an enemy. But it soon became obvious that wouldn't be needed.

It was Cantis. Bloody, wounded, and half blind, but him still.

He walked towards the camp with glazed eyes, not noticing those who approached him asking questions. He was clearly in shock, unable to hear or react to the outside world. As he trudged through the snow, he sang quietly to himself in a slow, methodical tone.

_Not for me comes spring,_

_Not for me the Don flows._

_There was a boy's heart filled_

_With delightful feelings - not for me._

_Not for me do gardens flower,_

_In the valley, a grove blooms,_

_There, a nightingale meets spring,_

_She will sing - not for me._

_Not for me flow streams,_

_Murmuring diamond brooks,_

_There is a maiden with black eyebrows,_

_She smiles - not for me._

_For me there is a piece of iron,_

_Which will dig into my white body,_

_And bitter tears will be shed._

_Such a life, brother, is waiting for me._

At that he sat in front of the campfire, and let unconsciousness take him.

* * *

 He awoke to yelling and arguing from the across the campfire. He couldn't make out the words, such a haze was his thoughts in, and his head was wrapped in bandages as well. But he knew the meaning well enough.

He sat up, and then felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Mother Giselle.

"Hush." She said before he could say anything, giving a small, weak smile. "You've been through enough. Let them work their differences on their own."

"They'll go on for hours." He shook his head a little. Everything hurt, his heart most of all, but he also knew that they couldn't simply stand here until the Red Templars found them once more. If there was any reason in the world why he was still alive now, it was to destroy this orb, and make sure these people found safety.

"They have that time." She soothed in a soft voice, probably one honed from hundreds of hours offering advice and counsel for those in the Chantry. She had seen thousands of lost souls, and his was no different, even if none of their struggles could compare to his. "That is a luxury that you have bought for them, a privilege that wouldn't be here if not for you. That they still stand here to waste it is a wondrous thing."

Cantis gave a short, self-depreciating laugh, shaking his head. "You treat me like some saviour. I'm just a soldier, a terrible husband and an even worse father."

Giselle smiled sadly at him. It seemed that the best heroes hated themselves, as Andraste had before him. "Child, you shouldn't say such things. The Maker smiles most on his darkest children, the ones that suffer the worst." She stopped a moment, considering his own faith before saying what she had to say. "I doubt you'll agree, but I think the Maker has already shown his favour on you twice. Once by saving you from the explosion of the Breach, and again at the avalanche in Haven."

Cantis gave another short laugh, sitting up. "I appreciate the thought, but if your Maker's real then I'm pretty sure that he hates me more than anyone. I killed his Divine, not to mention countless of his followers." He stood, leaning on a pillar even as blood rushed to his head. "This is my struggle, I'm afraid. Not that of some god."

But stepping out and into the cold, the others had turned from one another, now sitting in an icy silence. Leliana was sitting without a shirt and look down, despondent, feeling like an utter failure. Josephine looked away, her eyes red from the traumatic tears she had been unable to stop, her golden dress stained with them. Cullen had his shoulders sunk, adjusting his armour absent mindedly as he tried fruitlessly to think of a solution.

Then Mother Giselle stepped out into the cold, and began to sing a song of hope and promise:

_Shadows fall,_

_And hope has fled._

_Steel your heart,_

_The Dawn will come._

_The Night is long,_

_And the path is dark._

_Look to the sky,_

_For one day soon,_

_The Dawn will come._

At that, Leliana lifted her voice and began to sing in the voice that Marjoline had so lovingly crafted into a perfect tone. Hearing her mother's voice, Grace began to sing from her bedroll as well.

_The Shepherd's lost,_

_And her home is far._

_Keep to the stars,_

_The Dawn will come._

_The Night is long,_

_And the path is dark._

Everyone was singing now. A few who didn't believe in the Maker kept their silence, Cantis, Solas, Cole and others. But hundreds were singing now in a single, united voice.

_Look to the Sky._

_The Dawn will come._

Now people came up to Cantis, kneeling and clasping their hands in prayer to their Herald, their saviour. Cantis rubbed his neck, uncomfortable now, but he knew how much he meant to them and couldn't bring himself to say anything to stop them.

_Bare your blade,_

_And raise it high._

_Stand your ground,_

_The Dawn will come._

_The Night is long,_

_And the path is dark._

_Look to the sky,_

_The Dawn will come._

Their voices raised into the night, into the dark sky above them and he couldn't help but smile a little at the hope in their eyes.

"That's all well and good." Solas said quietly, and Cantis turned to him. "But we are still in danger of being found. I suggest we move tomorrow morning, lest we be caught in a battle like this."

Cantis smiled, feeling the orb in his coat pocket. Much as it hurt, he knew exactly where they had to head. The one husk of civilization just waiting on people to fill it. Something blood filled, a place with a dark enough history for someone as awful as him.

"I know a place."

* * *

 It took their breath away when they found it, when Cantis showed them their new home.

"Skyhold." Was all he said as they stared.

It was a magnificent fortress, as large as the Winter Palace of Orlais, and twice as defensible. It had concrete brick walls that would keep out any army, and it was led to by a narrow canyon that they could defend and hold off anyone who came for them. They couldn't tell from here, but it had comforts enough to it, some rather luxurious housing for a military installation, and enough room for ten Inquisitions in it's majesty.

"This is incredible." Josephine whispered, staring in awe. "How do you know this place? Is it occupied?"

Cantis shook his head, dread in his chest as he knew he would have to tell his story, much as he didn't want to. "No. We're the only ones here. No one else _wants_ this place, been uninhabited for more than ten years now." They looked at him curiously, an unspoken question of how he knew of this place, and he sighed. "From what I understand, this is an ancient elven fortress of some kind, I don't quite know the details. In the beginning of the Dragon Age, Orlais fixed it up and occupied it."

"Tarasyl'an Te'las." Solas nodded. "The place where the Sky was held back." They looked at him curiously, and he bit his lip. "I've seen it again and again in my dreams. It's a place with a dark and bloody history. Are you sure about this?"

"I don't think anyone hates this place more than me." Cantis shrugged. "But we need somewhere to go." He paused, recollecting the tale. "For some bullshit reason or other, Ostwick got dragged into a war alongside Orlais." He shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "Funny, I don't even remember who we were fighting. Guess that tells you how much that war mattered." They nodded. Josephine was the only one who knew the details, but it didn't seem important. "This was back when I was a Sergeant in the military, so I got shipped out to fight. We got stationed here, and then immediately besieged." He bit his lips, now hating himself more than ever for having come here. "We held out against a force ten times our size for sixty days, until one of our own betrayed us and we got overrun." He shook his head sadly. "Me, and… and Liam were the only ones who survived."

"Maker." Josephine whispered. "I'm so sorry, I… I shouldn't have..."

Cantis smiled at her. "It's alright." He reassured, motioning. "Come on, we should get down there."


	16. From the Darkness

Skyhold soon grew.

There had been more than five hundred people at Haven, and only a little under two hundred of them had made it this far. So many had been lost in the fighting, both before and during the great battle that engulfed the village. Not to mention those who had been killed by the seething cold, or those who had just simply left the Inquisition after seeing so much death.

But now that was to change. The Inquisition grew larger and larger as the weeks came and went. Much of it was due to Josephine's shrewd trading and diplomatic skills, but that wasn't all. The walls were overhauled and repaired, the hearths were rekindled to give heat once more. Cantis showed them how to grow food in frozen soil, and how to pump water from the earth. Infirmaries and hospitals were built, as were trading centres and armouries.

It was difficult, coming back here. Cantis figured he was probably the only person left alive who remembered this place, considering that he was the last survivor of his unit, and any of the commanding officers from Orlais who had been here had likely been caught in the civil war. It had now become something of a local horror story, a haunted castle still filled with the dead souls of those who had once protected it, and few had ever dared come this far out to see it's carcass.

All he could think about was those who had stood here with him, once. Those who hadn't come as far as him. Those nightmarish two months that they had held off hundreds of enemy soldiers. He had been the commanding office, seeing as how the entirety of their senior officers had either been too wounded to fight, or been killed in battle, and he had failed them all by losing the fortress in the end, after all of their efforts to survive. Him and Liam had been the only survivors, and now only he remained of those brave soldiers.

As he thought back on them and what had happened, Cantis stood in his small, modest quarters, shaving in a tiny mirror. He had woken up that morning and realized he was unable to look himself in the mirror any longer, unable to see the man that Liam had loved any longer. His rough, ragged beard gave way to smooth, warm skin, and soon he had his hair cut and pulled back into a short, professional pony tail. The wound over his eye had healed, leaving only a red, angry scar to forever remind him of the day Haven fell, as would his blindness in the same eye. He had also changed his old, ripped and destroyed outfit for a rugged, tough overcoat of black and red tones, a symbol of the Inquisition on a metal clasp over the chest.

A new look for a new life.

A knock came at the door, and he turned, calling for them to come in, and in came Josephine. "Only me." She smiled, and then gave a small gasp as she saw how different he was. For a moment she was unsure of it was him, but then he turned and she saw the scar over his eye. "My goodness, you look a right gentleman, my lord."

He gave a short laugh and a weak smile. "Felt it was time for a change, I suppose. But please, Josie, you can just call me Cantis."

"Alright, Cantis." She smiled back. "Cassandra and Leliana were looking for you, and sent me to come find you."

"Oh?" He grabbed his twin blades, sheathing them at his side as he readied for yet another hard day of work. "What'd they need? More water pumps? Someone to watch the peaches grow?" He looked over to her, where she shuffled a foot shyly, smiling a little to herself.

"I'm… not sure I can tell you." She said. "It's a surprise."

"Is that so?" He laughed, which made her smile even more. "Alright then. I guess I'll just have to go ask them myself." He laid an appreciative hand on her shoulder as he passed by. "Thanks for heads up, Josie."

"You're welcome, m-… Cantis."

* * *

 

"So what's all of this about?" Cantis asked, and Cassandra turned to face him from the training ground from where she had been practising. "Josie came and found me, said you had something for me?"

"Yes." She tossed her sword aside, wringing her hands nervously. "I… you could say that I need your help. That we need your help."

"Anything." She saw an honest determination sparkling in his eyes, a willingness to press himself as far as it would take to help her, and the rest of the Inquisition, with whatever it took. He was someone who, in his own way, loved the Inquisition more than anyone else did, who was willing to fight and bleed more than anyone else to see it's success. It made her wonder, if only for a moment, what Justinia would have thought of him, of what she was going to do. "Just say the word."

"Come with me." She motioned, and he followed suit. "In spite of all of our efforts, the Inquisition still suffers greatly from one thing." He raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. "You saw what happened after Haven: Me, Cullen, Leliana, Josephine… our arguing and fighting nearly tore us apart, then and there. If you hadn't broken our stalemate, led us here..." She trailed off meaningfully, and he nodded in turn, understand completely. "The Inquisition cannot be properly prepared for war, cannot hope to do all that we must if the four of us continue tearing it apart."

"You want a single, sole ruler to lead us more efficiently, to work without having to argue or deal with bureaucracy." Cantis guessed, and she nodded. "I would be careful, Lady Pentaghast. It's an effective idea, and one that all too often ends in dictatorship… or worse."

Cassandra nodded emphatically. "I'm aware. Which is why we need someone we can trust, someone to treat the Inquisition with enough love and care to ensure that it doesn't end that way." She stopped on a platform that led to the great hall of Skyhold, and he froze in place.

Under the platform, in the main courtyard, stood everyone in the entire fortress, gathered together in a hushed silence, staring up at the two of them.

"We've talked, and agreed unanimously that you are the only person fit to be that person. To be our Inquisitor."

His jaw fell open, and he looked over to her. Surely she was joking? She couldn't possibly…

But she had a completely serious look about her.

"Have you gone mad?" He asked, dumbfounded. "Cassandra, that's the worst idea I have ever heard in my life. I..." He stammered, unable to comprehend the idea. This morning he had awoken hating himself, thinking on the justice it was that he lived in such awful conditions and worked himself to the bone. And now… this? "I am of the enemy." He emphasised every word, laying a hand on his chest as if to beat in the point. "I killed their Divine!"

Cassandra sighed, nodding a little. "I am not an idiot, Cantis. I'm aware of everything you've done, everything that's hurt, and helped us." She laid an understanding hand on his shoulder. "Justinia would be proud of everything you've accomplished. Perhaps it was your hand that destroyed the Conclave, but it was Samson who orchestrated it, and we can't hold you accountable for what he's done." He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued talking. "Listen to me: If you hadn't taken charge on the day we defended against the Breach, we would have been overrun and killed to the last man. If you hadn't told us so much about the Red Templars, the same would have happened once more. You sealed a hole in the very universe, and saved us all. I could go on and on." She met his eyes with a serious gaze. "It is only due to you that we stand here today. And we need you if we are to have any chance."

Cantis swallowed hard, looking down to the crowd, who stared up at him with hopeful gazes, waiting eagerly for his acceptance. For him to be their leader. He remembered the people kneeling and praying before him at the camp, and then looked up to the sky, where a scar still marked where the Breach one had been. He had survived Haven for a reason. Was this it?

He took another deep swallow, and then stepped to the edge of the platform, looking down to all who looked up to him for guidance.

"I'm not certain that this is the best course of action," He called down, addressing their waiting ears now. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. Fought a lot of people, killed a lot too, and I've suffered for it." They looked to one another, unsure of the words. His words were less than inspiring, unlike what they had been expecting. "I am an older man now, and perhaps wiser. A war has ended, and another is about to begin. Even if this is a mistake, even if I'm not the right choice to be your Inquisitor, I swear one thing to you: I will not stop until the last of our enemies have fallen. Until peace comes back to Thedas, until the Red Templars are scattered to the sands of history. That we will fight until this war is over. This, I swear to you."

Cheers broke out among the crowd, people crying his name, of the Inquisition, as they prepared to follow him to war. Among them was his inner circle, all of them, gathered to watch their comrade, and friend, assume his position. Even Grace was there, sitting on her mother's shoulders.

They were ready to go to war.

* * *

 

"Inquisitor, huh?" Varric chuckled much later, as Cantis was sitting atop his new throne, still desperately uncomfortable with the whole idea. "That'll get some taking used to."

"For you and me both." Cantis shook his head, smiling at the dwarf. "I wouldn't worry about it, Varric. Last thing I need is someone else to worship me."

"I'll bet." He laughed, stepping up next to his Inquisitor, and friend. "But I'll bet that you could always use some more allies, hm?" He raised an eyebrow, and Cantis laughed with him.

"This doesn't sound good." He sat up, looking to him intently. "Alright, let's hear it."

"Well, here's the thing." Varric wringed his hands nervously, looking over his shoulder to ensure no one else was listening. "All this acting heroic shit has gotten me thinking: These kinds of people we're going up against… we're going to need all the help we can get, right? I mean, these guys managed to rip a hole in the world, and managed to make… whatever the hell Red Lyrium actually _is_." Cantis nodded, listening intently. "And I think I know someone who can help you better than anyone else. Two someone's, actually."

"You're starting to sound like Sera." Cantis shook his head a little. "Alright. Who are they and where am I going?"

"Don't have to go anywhere. Got them right here, if you've got time." Cantis looked around, and shrugged nonchalant. The only other people in the hall was construction workers and nobles passing through to meet with Josephine. Everyone else was busy gearing up for ensuring that the Templars paid for every last person that they lost at Haven. "Right."

He left into a side room a moment before coming back with two figures in tow.

"Inquisitor, allow me to introduce you to Hawke, The Champion of Kirkwall, and her wife, Merrill."

"Not that I use that title much these days."

Hawke was a tall, slender woman with jet-black hair pulled back into a bun, wearing regal black and gold armour with a massive longsword at her waist. Merrill wore thick, snug armour coloured in the greens and browns of the forest, with a beautiful green silk scarf around her neck. She had grown her hair out since the time of their adventures in Kirkwall, and had it carefully braided at her shoulders.

Hawke held out an armoured gauntlet, which he met in an iron handshake. "Adrianne Amell Hawke, though I like Hawke better." She smiled kindly, in a strong but warm expression. As Varric so often described her in his stories, she was a gentle, caring Leviathan capable of terrible power. To those who were her friends and family, no one could find anyone better to have at their side. And to those who would hurt that same family…

"Cantis Trevelyan." He smiled back in turn, shaking her hand emphatically. "I guess it's Inquisitor now, but you can still call me Cantis."

"It's lovely to finally meet you." Merrill smiled, shaking his hand after Hawke and looking practically giddy. "Varric has said nothing but good things about you, not to mention all the people we've met who told us that you saved them."

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." He had heard so much about Hawke and her companions in his time, read her book more than once, and it came as no small reassurance that she was here with them. "I've heard much."

"Probably mostly just Varric's garbage." She shook her head goodnaturedly, laughing when she heard the dwarf's sound of protest from behind her. "But the feeling is mutual."

"We've come to help." Merrill looked positively excited to be here, which she was. It was exciting, to be here with these people once more, able to keep being a hero with the love of her life. She had missed this so much, protecting people who needed her help, for being able to save those who had no one else. "We have news about the Wardens! It's all very exciting! Missing people, secret meetings, that sort of thing. Just like in Varric's stories!"

Hawke chuckled under her breath, putting a loving hand on Merrill's shoulder. "You've news on the Wardens?" Cantis asked, sitting up a little more. "Finally, some good news. Here I was thinking they had just up and disappeared."

Hawke gave a small, knowing shrug. "They kind of did." Cantis raised an eyebrow, and she sighed a moment before explaining further. "The Wardens eventually begin to be… consumed by the Blight, start hearing voices and other weird shit."

Cantis nodded, having heard of the Calling before, albeit briefly. "I think Leliana said her wife was suffering from that."

"I would send her a letter telling her to come home, then." Hawke shook her head. "Wardens tend to have anywhere from twenty to thirty years after they become Wardens until they hear it. Tends to be that only a dozen or so Wardens get it in a single year, since there's not that many of them. Only thing is… well, every last Warden in the world has begun hearing it, all at once."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, looking up at her. His thoughts immediately turned to Blackwall, and why something hadn't been said, but then focused on the now. "Well that… that doesn't sound good, to be sure, but we kind of have our own problems here. I'm not sure what we can do to help them when they have more resources and manpower than us."

"I'm sure the Wardens would be happy to help you if you helped them." Merrill piped up, and eyes turned to her. "Mahariel became a Warden, and I've met a few others. They seem nice, and good to have with you, even if they are..." She trailed off, biting her lips. "A little _'stick up the backside'_ , as Varric put it."

"That's not all." Hawke said. "I've only ever seen this happen once more. A Grey Wardens prison that housed the first Darkspawn, a Tevinter Magister by the name of Corypheus. He managed to emulate the Calling, and used it to manipulate the Wardens into releasing him."

"And if someone used that on a bigger scale..." He finished, and she nodded. "Well… shit."

"I didn't just come to you because you can help me." She said. "Listen to me: I think your Red Templars are behind this, and that's not just some wild accusation. They're some of the only people with the resources and knowledge to pull this off. More than that, my contacts in the Wardens reported stumbling across Red Lyrium in their fortresses, their higher ups meeting with men who showed all of the symptoms of Red Lyrium addiction. I think that they intend to use the Wardens against you somehow, to use them to bolster their own forces."

"Shit." He looked away, thinking. They didn't have the resources to take on the Wardens, one way or another. And if the Red Templars managed to add them to their ranks… "Do you have any ideas?"

"Yes." She stepped forward, and he looked back up at her. "I've been in contact with Warden friends who are… dissatisfied with the way things are happening. I'm supposed to meet with a woman a week from now, in the Western Approach. Come with me, help me stop the Wardens."

She held out a hand. After a brief, thoughtful pause, he accepted it and clasped it tight.

* * *

 

Cantis soon thereafter found himself standing in the war room with the rest of his advisor counsel, all looking pale and concerned.

"Inquisitor." Josephine stumbled over his words, and that was what truly alarmed him. "We… may have a situation. A dire one."

"Haven't even been Inquisitor for half a day," He sighed, stepping up to the table. "And this is the second dire situation I've had to deal with." He looked up, nodding to himself as he resigned himself to this being a very regular occurrence. "What's wrong?"

"We've gone through thousands of documents scavenged from Therinfal and Redcliffe." She motioned to the boxes upon boxes behind her, and then to the ones littering the table. "And we've come across something." She grabbed a handful of papers, handing them over to him. He looked down at them, but couldn't make any sense of them.

"An assassination plot." Leliana finished, rubbing her neck nervously as she thought. "Against the empress of Orlais."

"Ah, shit." He sighed, nodding. "Okay, start from the beginning."

"The empress holds two massive balls a year." Leliana tried to summary and to the point, knowing Josephine could go on for hours if she explained it. "Once in the Summer, and once in the Winter. This year the summer one has been cancelled due to the war, but peace talks are to be held during the winter ball. Thousands of Orlesian nobles will be there, as will Celene, Briala, and Gaspard, the three people with claims to the throne. We don't have names, but the Red Templars intent to dispatch assassins down there during the peace talks and kill them."

"What do they hope to accomplish?" He shuffled through the papers, which all looked like the same, indecipherable bureaucratic code to him. "Beyond a dead empress, I suppose."

"They don't out and say it here, obviously." Leliana sighed. "But if I were them, I would kill one of them, probably Celene, and then pin the blame on the others. That would cause chaos, and leave the Orlesian army completely in disarray."

"And stop them from helping us." He nodded. "So just send the empress a letter telling her to watch out. How does this involve us?"

"We will try, to be sure." Josephine nodded. "But Orlesian politics are filled with death threats, the empress surely deals with them on a daily basis. She won't take us seriously, even if it were to come from you personally."

"And the only people who can stop the Red Templars is us." Josephine nodded as he finished the thought. "Damnit. Alright, you said it's in winter? Get me an invitation."

"Of course." She made a note on her clipboard before smiling up at him. "You also have a meeting with the Queen of Ferelden tomorrow morning, I would suggest you head to your new quarters for the night."

"Right." He took a deep breath. Of course. New quarters, away from the small ones that he deserved. This would take some getting used to.

He was nearly in his room when he realized he was still holding Josephine's papers. He turned around and headed back, knowing they would be useless to him but she would probably need them. Back in the War Room, he paused in the doorway. Josephine was the only one still present, and someone had already arrived before him to speak with her.

"Josephine Montyilet?" The man asked, and she looked up curiously.

"Yes?" She asked, giving a sweet, kindly smile up at him. "Something I can do for you?"

The man nodded, taking a deep breath.

"The House of Repose sends their regards."

He drew a knife and lunged at her. She took a moment to realize what was happening, then screamed and tried to push him away.

Had Cantis responded a moment later, Josephine would have been killed. He threw the papers to the ground and dove over the War Table, taking the assailant to the ground moments before he stabbed the ambassador. He ripped the knife from the man's hand and killed him with his own blade, stabbing down again and again until the assassin fell still.

Cantis stood, wiping the blood away and looking over to Josephine, who watched in silent horror with hands over her mouth.

"Maker." She whispered, her voice frozen and terrified. "He… he tried… he was going… I..."

"It's alright." He said, dropping the blade and offering his arms out, taking her in a comforting embrace. She was shaking, crying as she went into a state of shock. If he hadn't been there…

Something told him the queen would have to wait on her meeting. Someone was going to pay for this.


	17. Fortuna Caduti

_Author's Note: Long chapter is long. Apologies for that, but I didn't want to split it into two. Some of this is vanilla stuff, but a great deal of it's new stuff._

_If you feel tempted to skip any of it, if you just like seeing Cantis' struggles, skip to the end where they're at the dock. That might be one of the biggest character development pieces in the story, and I'd hate for people to miss it because the chapter was long and they skimmed through it._

* * *

"My lord, really. You needn't go to this trouble."

Cantis rolled his eyes as she insisted for the hundredth time that she was fine, that his time was too valuable to be spent like this. It was as if she had forgotten that someone had tried to kill her, that a trained professional assassin had been paid to end her life. She did that often, apologized for things that weren't her fault and insisted that she was fine, really, even when she really wasn't.

"Lady Montilyet, I respect you, and your right to make you own decisions. But this is one of the times I'm afraid I simply can't take no for an answer." He looked over his shoulder to her, smiling. "After all, what would Leliana do if I let you get killed?"

"Fair enough." She sighed, resigned to this. "Just… please, please promise me you're not going to kill anyone today, alright?"

Cantis shrugged. "Unless someone tries to kill you first, sure. Had my fill of death, lately." It was true, he was more than a little disgusted with the amount of bodies that he stood upon now. Now he held more responsibility on his shoulders than ever, and it had become sickening. He had even gone as far to have forsaken eating meat any longer, saying that he was responsible for the death of too many of his fellow animals already.

They soon found themselves sitting opposite a man dressed in nondescript leathers and chainmail, no clear weapons on him, and yet Cantis could still identify six different place that he had different weaponry hidden throughout. He had paid this man a purse of nearly a dozen sovereigns out of his own pocket for this information, and all he could do was hope that the information was good.

"Greeting, Lord Trevelyan and Lady Montilyet." He greeted curtly, polite, motioning to two chairs opposite him. "I hate to cut the pleasantries short, but I would rather keep this short. I've put myself in enough trouble already, agreeing to this."

"Fair." He said shortly, sitting next to Josephine and keeping himself ready for any sort of ambush or trick. "Talk."

The man bit his lip a moment before spilling out in a wave of words, forcing them to listen closely. "Your ambassador, Lady Montilyet, has an assassination contract on her head, a hundred sovereigns for fulfilment, by the House of Repose. You've surely figured that much out by now." Cantis nodded. "It was placed there by the Du Paraquettes, a rival of the Montilyets, to be enacted by my employers if her family ever attempted to overturn their trading ban in Orlais."

"The Du Paraquettes?" Josephine asked, her eyes opening wide at that, sitting forward. "They haven't been nobles for over a hundred years!"

The man shrugged. "Of course, but this contract was signed over a hundred years ago as well, back when they were nobility as well. Now that you have attempted to overturn the ban..."

"The House of Repose is now trying to fulfil the contract." She finished, and he nodded. She slumped in her chair, laying her head in her hands. "Oh, Maker's breath."

"I don't understand." Cantis spoke, and they turned to him. "What's this trading ban? What did you do to these… Da Paraquets or whatever their name was?"

"Du Paraquette." She correct automatically, making him smile a little before it melted away. "They were the Montilyet's political rival a century ago. They attempted again and again to crush our economical status, until finally they succeed in getting the emperor to banish us from trading in Orlais." She paused a moment, taking a deep, pained breath. It shamed her so much to admit, to even think about, but he had a right to know, after all that he had gone to for her. "Due to that ban, we have been… struggling, greatly, to simply keep ourselves in clothing. I have been trying desperately for years to change that, and I thought I had finally succeed when I managed to get out ban overturned." She looked away, a harsh, saddened tone to her voice now. "And look where we are."

"Hey, hey." He said in a comforting tone, putting a hand on her shoulder, which she smiled at, meeting his eyes. "It's all going to be okay. We'll get this sorted out, and I'm sure that someone as resourceful as you can figure out how to fix it from there." He turned to look at the assassin. "Why is the House of Repose still filling this contract, then? You said it's well over a hundred years old. Why continue on with it? It seems an awful lot of resources to spend on a contract you're more than likely not even to be paid over."

He shrugged once more. "Quite simply, this is about more than money. The House is quite well known for never having failed a contract, never refused one and always having fulfilled on the terms. Our reputation is on the line here, my lord Inquisitor, and this is simply business."

"Orlesian companies live and die on their reputation." Josephine said, her whole body slumped, looking defeated. "I… understand."

Cantis was about to speak up, protest how utterly stupid and silly this all was, but then he froze. From behind him there was a noise. Not a loud or obvious one, but long years of war had taught him that if something felt wrong, it more than likely was.

He looked over his shoulder just in time to see three crossbowmen jump from the shadows of the hall behind them. He jumped up and instinctively pushed Josephine out of the way, toppling her chair over. It was lucky that he did, as the bolts came only a moment later, and if she had been sitting in her chair, the House of Repose wouldn't need to continue pursuing her any longer.

One went through the empty air where Josephine had been moments earlier, and another sailed past him harmlessly. The third bolt, however, pierced deep into his chest. True to their form, if he had been sitting it would have gone through the back of his head. Not missing a beat, he sprinted into their line while they desperately attempted to reload, slamming into one with his now drawn blades, and quickly brought down the others in moments, gleaming steel painted crimson before they could react.

He pulled the bolt from his chest, quickly bandaging it up with spare cloth in his pack, and looked over. Josephine sat on the ground where she had fallen, with a horrified and shocked expression sculpted into her face, trying desperately to look away from the dead. The assassin he had paid off, who had given them their information, lay dead, a bolt through his throat. They were brutally efficient, three shots for three deaths. If he hadn't heard them, if he hadn't been such a veteran of so many battles...

"My lord, I..." She gasped, looking down at the ground as she tried so desperately to forget the images of violence so permanently burned into her mind. "I didn't mean… I didn't want it to..."

"It's alright." He knelt beside her, laying a reassuring hand on her shaking form. "Hey, Josie, I'm here. It's all okay. All going to be okay."

She took a deep, shuddering breath, and then looked up at him, her eyes not leaving his. "I didn't mean for it to be like this, I… I didn't."

"I know." He nodded. "You just wanted to help your family. Now come on. Let's get you back to Skyhold, where you can be safe."

* * *

"I'm so sorry." Josephine apologized once again once they were in her office at Skyhold. "I honestly didn't think it would end like this. Putting you in danger like that." She shook her head, angry at herself. "It won't happen again, I promise."

"Josie." He shook his head, bemused. "You don't need to keep apologizing. I've had my life threatened a thousand times in my life, probably more than that. You didn't intend for it, I was the one who set up the meeting, and it wasn't you who tried to shoot me. Really, it's fine." She sat in her chair and gave an exasperated, exhausted sigh. "I presume you already have a plan, Lady Montilyet?"

"Yes." Her eyes lit up the way they did whenever anyone gave her a challenge, whenever she saw an opening in a conversation to gain the upper hand, and it made him smile. Even in the grim reality she has in now, she was still very much the same Josephine. "The Du Paraquettes made this contract, and they also have the power rescind it as well."

"But I thought you said that they all died off?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "How're dead men going to do anything for you?"

She shook her head. "They died off as nobility, not as a whole. The remaining members are likely peasants of some sort, married out of the family to a different name. If I could elevate them to noble status once more, restore their names, get them out of the toil of working every day, I'm certain that they'll be happy to sign anything I hand to them."

"That's your plan?" Cantis asked in disbelief, looking utterly unimpressed. He understood her distaste towards violence and efforts to avoid it, perhaps more than anyone else, but these people had struck first. "Josie, that sounds all well and good, but that could take months, and you're forgetting that this is a group of highly trained assassins that will try and kill you in the meantime. Skyhold's probably the safest place in the world for you right now, between our walls and soldiers, but I don't know how long that can buy you from these people."

"I have a better idea." A voice called, and they looked over to see Leliana standing in the doorway, stepping out of the shadows to stand with them.

"I guess you already know all about this?" Josephine asked with a weary sigh, and Leliana nodded grimly. "I appreciate the thought, Leliana, but I have this handled."

"Don't be so stubborn, Josie!" Leliana slammed her hands on the table in front of her, startling the ambassador. "How long will this take you?! What are the odds that they'll succeed while you try this?!" She had been shouting, and now lowered her voice a little. "I'm not going to lose you, Josie." She looked up now, eyes filled with determination and readiness. "I've a better idea: They only want to kill you because of some silly, ancient contract. So, we break into their vaults, destroy the contract. They'll have no reason to hunt you, and receive a message that no one is untouchable."

"See, now there's a plan I can get behind." Cantis nodded, agreeing readily with the spymaster. He was as fed up with death as Josephine, but no one crossed him and his own. They had struck first, and it was now their responsibility to let them know that no one would try such a thing again. "Make them rue the day they crossed us."

"I know you mean well, but..." She gave a pain, hurt sigh. "Please, this is a personal affair. I don't want anyone more to suffer for it."

"Come on," Cantis said, tugging on Leliana shirt and leading her away. "Let's let Josie get started on finding the parakeet family, or whatever the hell they're called. We'll go get some extra guards to watch over her while she works on this." They left the room, and Josephine breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing?" Leliana ripped her arm away indignantly, hissing. "You're just going to let her try this?! Get herself killed?!"

"Of course not." He shook his head, giving a small, secretive smile. Looking out the window, it was clear there was only a few hours left in the day. He would go and see Cullen about guards, like he had promised, and then… "Come find me after you put Grace to bed. We're going hunting."

* * *

Orlais struck him as strange. Ostwick wasn't perfect, to be sure: It could be miserable, poor and nasty in all respects. But the place was honest, if someone hated you, they ensured that you knew it, what you saw was typically what you got, even among the nobility. But Orlais was vastly different. Everything was hidden behind fake smiles and shadows, people leering behind masks of cordial kindness.

The House of Repose wasn't some hidden fortress deep inside of a forest like a house of assassins would be in most other civilized countries. Instead, they had a large, grand building in the middle of the country's capital city, more resembling a bank than a military installation.

And for assassins, their security was remarkably lax.

They managed to enter in like regular customers, with the place still having many people present to hire even now that the sun had set. For the League, business was good.

That was about to change.

They split up, ready to complete their plan. The League had a reputation, but so did they. They wouldn't kill Josephine, not if the two of them had to kill every last person in this building.

Cantis quickly found the security room and picked the lock, heading inside. There was a man inside, who whipped around, but was struck across the skull before he could utter a word, falling silently to the ground. He ripped apart the alarm bell that might have been rung if they were caught, and then shuffled desperately through papers until he found what he was looking for.

Leliana, in turn, managed to sneak her way onto the second floor and into a manager's office, grabbing a ring of keys as she slipped away and around him, narrowly bobbing out of sight. Then she found her way to the roof, where she met the Inquisitor already waiting.

"Got it?" He asked, and she nodded emphatically. "Come on then. Before someone finds us." Leliana handed over the keys to him, and he used them open the grate leading inside.

"Good luck." She bid him as he disappeared but he just smiled and shook his head.

"I make my own luck."

The grate led into the topmost layer of the building, the one used for ventilation for those deeper inside. He laid something that Dagna had cooked up for them, and then tied a bandanna across his jaw and mouth to guard himself from it.

It was a highly toxic gas that Dagna had made, and soon it seeped through the entire building. Leliana had wanted it just the way it was, but Cantis had insisted it be diluted, making it put everyone inside to sleep instead of killing them outright.

Heading back insisde, Leliana followed the blueprints Cantis had stolen from the security room to lead her right to the room storing their contracts. It was a simple enough thing, finding a shelf marked M and using the keys to opening it, digging until she found Josephine's contract. She smiled as she burned it in a torch's fire.

Cantis' task was that of stealing from their vault while Leliana preformed her own. He managed to fill four bags full to the bring in gold, a significant portion of the vault without leaving these people without money. Resources for the Inquisition, as he thought of them. There was nothing wrong with stealing from people like this, in his mind. People who profited off of people's misery and death. Men who would have stolen the coin's off of Abigail's eyes, had he given them the chance.

Soon thereafter, they disappeared into the crowds of Val Royeaux, leaving those inside to wake up minutes later, wondering just what had happened.

* * *

The next day, Cantis found Josephine missing completely. Asking Leliana, he found she had left for Val Royeaux, where he found her at the docks, staring at the sailing ships, forlorn.

"Hey Josie." He tried to smile, keeping his voice light and casual, but she wouldn't look at him. "Some real pretty ships, today." She kept staring away, and an uncomfortable silence fell over them. He sighed, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, Josie. You have a right to be angry. I get it." She looked over at him, and saw how much he meant what he said, the bright and shining silver giving way to honesty. "But I want you to know that all I did was for you. That I couldn't stand to see you dead, not like everyone else I've ever had close to me." Her eyes widened, but she kept silent. "Look, we were sure not to kill anyone, just for you. Went to great pains to do it, for the record. And, more importantly than anything, you're safe. If that means that we can't be friends any more… I guess that's a sacrifice I have to make."

Josephine said nothing for a moment, the sighed and looked away. "I… I shouldn't be so angry over this, my lord. I… know you saved me, I do. My plan was never going to work, we both know that." Cantis nodded a little, before chastising himself and falling still once more. That wasn't something he was supposed to agree with. "It's just… did I ever… ever tell you I was a bard?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. Why was that such a big revelation? If felt like it meant something much more than he realized, considering how hard it was for her to say it. "I didn't know you could sing." He said gently, hoping that was enough.

"No, no." She chuckled mirthlessly. "Bards in Orlais are different than elsewhere. They sing, dance… and spy."

"Oh." Was all he could say. She seemed… well, not at all like a spy, to be certain. Josephine as far as he knew her was a very steady woman, someone who was exceedingly competent and intelligent, but preferred her life to fall into routine, at least to a point.

"I know, it doesn't sound like me at all." She smiled, shaking her head lightly at herself. "I was… a very different woman, back then." She took a great heaving sigh, and then looked back to him. "I've never told you the story, have I? Of why I hate violence so much?" Cantis shook his head, and she nodded. "I… was hired to protect a woman from a fellow bard. I confronted him, more a boy than anything else, and he drew a knife on me atop a flight of stairs. I… pushed him away, and..." She looked away once more, feeling a fresh wave of shame over her actions. "He… he..."

"It's okay." He moved his arm to be around her, giving her a comforting hug. "You don't have to say it. I understand."

"I knew him." She mourned. "I took off his mask after… after… you know, and I realized who he was. He was my friend. I had been to parties with him." She had to bite back tears as she remembered the day as vividly as when it had happened, and lay her head on his shoulder. "I'll always wonder who he could have grown into, that young boy."

Canits' heart hurt, seeing her in such pain and being unable to solve it. That was the thing: no one could fix you. However much they might try to. He couldn't make it all go away, no more than she could simply repair the memory of him murdering Liam.

All he could do was commiserate.

"You mind if I tell you a story, Lady Montilyet?" He asked, and she nodded. "Do you know what happened to my daughter, Abigail?"

"I… had heard you say she died." She tread carefully with her words, her head still on his shoulder. "But nothing more."

"That was all I had said on it, to anyone." He took a deep breath. This hurt so much, but she deserved to hear it, especially after what she had shared. And it had a point, to explain himself. If it helped him keep her in his life, then it had to be said.

"It takes a bit more of an explanation. You see, Abigail was… she was our little girl, only… eight at the time. She was only two years old when we adopted her, her parents having been killed during the Blight." He choked as he remembered, but continued on. "She was an avid horse rider. We wound up getting her every little girl's dream: a little riding pony. Oh, she loved it so much, woke up every morning to go brush and feed it. She would ride it every morning. I taught her, since I knew the cavalry training back from when I was a soldier, still had my warhorse and everything."

Unlike for her own story, Josephine kept utter quiet, focusing her attention on his words, and on the boats in the harbour. Something told her this was a more painful memory than her own, and she was more than right.

"One day, Liam was out at Ostwick, meeting with friends the whole day. So, it was just me and her, at home alone. I had been watching her ride her horse in the field all afternoon. When she started to come in, I… she saw my warhorse. She begged, and pleaded to ride on him, made so many promises it almost hurt. Finally, I thought there was no harm to it, let her ride with me. So I said okay and went inside to grab my own riding gear."

Cantis paused again. This part hurt more than anything else. But on he carried. "Only thing was… when I went back outside, she was already riding the old boy. I meant for me to be riding, for her to just be there beside me, but..." He sighed and shook his head sadly. "She scared the hell out of it, and it began galloping forward at full speed. I tried and tried, but… there was nothing I could do. She tried to jump down, and… and her foot got… caught, in the stirrup." He wiped away the tears at his eye, continuing on. "It began to… drag her behind it. By… by the time it stopped, she was… she was..." He shook his head, unable to say it.

"Maker's breath." Josephine gasped as he trailed off, squeezing him comfortingly. In the face of that, her own failures seemed… small, insufficient, like ants. "Cantis, I am… so, so sorry. I had no idea, I..."

"It's alright." He smiled, returning her embrace. "My point is that I know the price of violence. If there was a way for us to live without death and violence, I would be the loudest proponent for it. But our world, my world, is fire and blood. And sometimes we need to use it to accomplish things, much as it hurts." Josephine nodded, and a silence fell over them once more, but more comfortable this time.

"Forgive me," She said at last, and he looked over to where her head lay on his shoulder. "In all of this confusion, I never thanked you for helping me. You didn't have to, and yet you did."

"You don't have to thank me." He smiled. "We're friends, and that means something to me. You had bigger problems." She smiled as well, curling comfortably into him, still behind hugged close. "Besides, a gracious woman like you deserves no less."

She laughed, and blushed a little. "Well now you've just gone and embarrassed me." She stretched and turned to face him, slipping fro his arm. "But thank you in any case. Even if… I'm not good at showing it, I appreciate what you've done for me. Truly."

"So does that mean we're still friends?" He asked, and she smiled.

"Of course."


	18. Legends of Thedas

As it turned out, Scout Harding calling the Western Approach the worst place in the world wasn't much of an exaggeration.

It was scorching hot, nasty, brutish, and an awful smell permeated the entire desert, like salt being burned. Thankfully, Dagna had managed to fix them up with washcloths that never ran dry, which allowed them to stay much cooler, but did little to alleviate the misery that hung over the whole of this place.

They met Hawke and Merrill just outside of the ruins of a Grey Warden fortress, who were sitting in the shade outside, looking hot and miserable, looking hot, red and sweaty.

"Thank the Maker you're here." Hawke panted, smiling weakly at them and stepping out from the shadows. "I think that this is officially the worst place I've ever been too. And that counts the Deep Roads."

"Mythal, it's days like this I miss being with the Dalish." Merrill panted, looking worse than the rest of them combined. "If it got to be half this hot, we would just sleep naked in the arevels."

"Now that's something I wouldn't mind seeing." Hawke laughed, but Merrill just looked at her, confused as to why that would be a lovely sight. After all, were it that hot, she would be panting and sweaty, not fun at all to touch. Not to mention she would turn down any intimacy, considering how hot they got doing it normally.

"Come on, the sooner we get out of here, the better." Cantis spoke up, and they both nodded, following him inside the ruins.

Inside, they kept to the shadows as they saw movement inside. There was thirteen Wardens. Two were standing in the middle of the ruins, with six on one side of them, and five on the other. Next to all of the ones on the sides stood demons, of various kinds. Curiously, judging by their uniforms, one of the men in the middle was a soldier, while the other dozen were mages.

"No!" The soldier shouted. "I'm not going through with it! This is madness, i-insanity!"

"Remember your oath." The mage standing next to him put a hand on his shoulder, steadying the man. "In war, victory. In peace, vigilance. In death..." He trailed off, and then quickly drew a knife and drove it keep within the man's throat.

"Sacrifice."

The soldier fell, and Cantis cringed at the insanity of what was happening before them. Merrill gasped, but was cut off by Hawke throwing a hand over her mouth, cutting it short so they weren't caught.

The man waved his hand, a flare of magic, and then from the man's blood arose demon after demon, until the blood ran out.

"Blood magic." Hawke whispered. "Fuck. Me."

"You said your contact was with the Wardens?" Cantis hissed, and she nodded. "I think, in all likelihood, he just got off'd."

"I thought it was a woman." She said, shrugging. "But, maybe not. Either way, doesn't look like these people are… coherent, to say the least. Maybe she's already gone, or maybe I misheard."

"Someone hear that?" One of the Wardens asked, looking around for them, and Cantis nodded to himself, drawing his dual blades and stepping into the light. The demons hissed at him as the mages jumped back, drawing staves and readying magic. "Inquisition. How in th-"

He never finished his sentence. A blinding flash of light filled the room, and a massive force sent Cantis onto his back, unable to hear himself shout in surprise, or anything else for that matter.

He didn't see it, but the light disintegrated the demons into nothingness, leaving little but ash behind. When the light cleared, the mages lay out like Cantis had been, and a figure darted in, wielding a bright blade with blue runes inscribed into it's surface. She brought it down, and quickly struck down the warden mages, in a chain with a methodical, swift rhythm, almost like music.

When she stopped, Cantis having scrambled to his feet, they saw that she too was wearing Warden Mage colours. A young woman with pale skin and dark hair, bright blue eyes that sparkled in the light. Most of his companions hadn't ever met her, but they all knew of her.

Marilina Amell, the Hero of Ferelden.

"Sorry about that." She smiled sheepishly, sheathing her sword and stepping forward. "Needed something to draw their attention so I had time to do that." She looked at them sadly. "Poor boys. They come by, fill their heads with dreams of demonic glory, and then… this. Look at them, they're more demon than man now." She gave a short pained sigh, then turned to look up at him. "But enough about that. My name is Marilina, but you can call me Mara."

Mara offered a hand out, and he took it readily, shaking it enthusiastically. "I know you." He smiled at her. " _The_ Warden. Leliana's wife, Grace's mother." She smiled, even blushing a little, and nodded. "I was in Denerim, you know. When the Darkspawn came. Doubt you remember me, but I remember you."

She looked at him a moment, then her eyes lit up. "I remember you. Trevelyan, right? Said you were from Ostwick?" He nodded, greatly impressed. They had only met once, right before the battle, and then fought beside one another. She had surely met more important people than him.

"Are you the person we're supposed to meet?" Hawke asked, and she nodded. "Maker's breath. Anders said he knew just the person, and it seems he delivered. Was expecting _a_ Warden, not _the_ Warden."

Mara blushed again. "You give me too much credit." She looked to Cantis. "You would be the Inquisitor I've heard so much about, then?" He nodded. "Good. I need you help. Desperately."

"I've heard there's problems in the Wardens, something about this Calling?"

She nodded. "Yes. I left Leliana to search for a cure for it, I thought I was the only one hearing it. But, as it turns out, I needn't have. Every last Warden in the world began hearing it. Something, or someone, managed to bring that out in us."

"So what?" Cantis asked. "Surely you realized that something was wrong, that someone was doing that to you?"

"We did, obviously." She nodded. "But then Warden Commander Clarel, who I was working with to resolve this, was approached by this Qunari Mage. Big guy, face white as a skull, lips sewn shut."

"Damnit." Cantis swore, and they all looked to him. "I know him. Red Templar, goes by Tyrant. If he's involved..."

"He is." She nodded. "I think I'd heard the name briefly, sounds familiar. He came by, and showed us evidence that the remaining two old gods had been awoken at once, and that was why the Calling was engulfing us. We believed him since that had never happened before, and now we're paying for it."

"That doesn't sound reasonable." Hawke spoke up, and they looked to her. "Why would that happen? The Wardens don't hear that when a single one awakens, why would it change for two?"

"I wondered the same." Mara shrugged, looking grim. "But there's so much about the Blight that we don't know, about the Archdemons, and everyone else believed it so I went along with it for the moment. But then he proposed his plan: he knew of a blood magic ritual for us to summon an army of demons, and proposed that we use them to storm the Deep Roads, kill the archdemons before they awoke completely."

"What?!" Hawke shouted, floored by the mere idea. What a ridiculous idea, using blood magic to intentionally summon demons. She was okay with Blood Magic, to an extent, as evidenced by the Dalish Promise Ring on her finger, but that was… insanity. "How could you think of something so… so… irresponsible? So insane?"

"I never said I went along with it." Mara defended. "The opposite, in fact. Otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. I spoke out, and they branded me a traitor, someone unwilling to do what was necessary. So, I ran and got Anders to get me into contact with you lot so we could figure out how to stop them before too many innocent lives were lost."

"I don't see the problem, exactly." Merrill said, speaking for the first time since they had entered, and all eyes turned to her. "I understand the fear of demons, but the Blight is a terrible, awful thing. If the Wardens are willing to do this, and not sacrifice innocents to do it..."

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea." Mara said. "Even if you look past everything else, you saw what those men were like. The one was unwilling, and they still gutted him like an animal. Not to mention, those men are… possessed, almost. The mages who preform the ritual are… mindless, husks. I think your man, this Tyrant, gave them a spell who puts them under someone's control, some hierarchic mage."

"I know where you're coming from, sweetie." Hawke said, entwining her hand with Merrill's and giving it a squeeze. "But this is way too dangerous. Not to mention, what would happen if that army of demons got lose, began to kill innocents?" Merrill closed her eyes, and nodded. Of course. It was things like this that gave blood magic such a harsh reputation, made people fear magic to the extent that they became more dangerous than the mages themselves ever could.

"Do you have a plan?" Cantis asked, and Mara nodded.

"Of course. Clarel and her Wardens who are going through with this idea are gathering at Adamant Fortress, in the far west of Orlais. The only Wardens who are bound by this spell are Mages, so we might still be able to save the regular rank and file." Cantis nodded. He knew of this fortress, and if they could save some of the Wardens, make them allies to use against the Red Templars. "But either way, Clarel has to be stopped. So you and your Inquisition will use my plans of the fortress." She pulled out a paper that had carefully planned out routes of attack, of weak points of the fortress. "To get inside, and put an end to this, defeat what Demons they already have and ensure that they don't get a chance to further this madness."

"Sounds good to me." Cantis nodded, taking the paper from her and putting it in his own coat. "We'll have Cullen and Leliana look through this."

"You have Cullen at Skyhold?" She asked, and Cantis nodded, making her shake her head nervously. "Oh boy. Okay."

"Why?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "You haven't slept with him, have you?"

""Maker, no." She blushed for the third time since they had arrived."I… well, let's just say that Leliana was the first woman I found myself attracted to." He chuckled and nodded, getting the meaning. "He just… may have fallen in love with me, and I may have had to break his heart over it."

"Maker's breath." He sighed, nodding. "Right, will try and keep him away from you. Just… try not to go breaking any hearts at Skyhold."

"Will do. Now come on, I want to see my wife and child."

"I just want to get out of this hellhole." Hawke breathed, patting Merrill on the shoulder. "Come on."

* * *

 

It was such a relief to arrive back in Skyhold, able more than ever to enjoy just how cold and refreshing it was up here, instead of searing and wearying like that desert.

"Go and get the spymaster." He told one of the stablehands, who nodded emphatically, looking honoured that Cantis had chosen him for the task. "Tell her to come here immediately, she'll desperately want to see this." Sure enough, soon Leliana came out and met them in the courtyard.

"This had better be important, Inquisitor. I was in the middle of-" She began, and then stopped as she saw. "M-mara?"

"Hi, sweetie." Mara smiled sheepishly, opening her arms.

"Mon Ange." Leliana whispered, frozen a moment, and then went running into her wife's arms, laughing and crying at the same time, shaking in joy. "My angel!"

"I'm back." Mara whispered, clutching to the love of her life. "And this time the Blight's not tearing me from you."

"Mama!" A shout came, and they looked just in time to see Grace running into their legs, throwing herself around her mother. "You're here!"

"Hey, baby." She smiled, leaning down to throw her arms around her daughter. "I missed you so much, little sweetheart. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Grace tightened her embrace. "Don't leave me again."

"Don't worry, baby. I won't."

Cantis couldn't help but smile, seeing how happy the three of them were. Hawke and Merrill both smiled too, turning to one another.

"I'm exhausted." Hawke said in a slow, deliberate tone. "Want to go take a nap with me, as it were?"

She trailed a hand up and grasped at Merrill's breast, making she gasp and squeal in delight, nodding happily before being led by the hand out.

Cantis smiled at the exchanges and left for his own room, content to collapse on his bed and sleep into the next afternoon.

All of Skyhold was happy, even if it was for one night. But it wouldn't last.

War was coming.


	19. Titans

_Author's Note: So, as someone who has taken way too many warfare classes, am I the only person who thinks that the siege plan in Inquisition is absolutely ridiculous? Like, unless they had the kind of manpower to pull off the Soviet "Human Wave" tactics from the Second World War, there was no way in the world that battering ram would have reached the gates. And ladders? Seriously? Cullen did a bang up job. So, enjoy some more effective medieval warfare here._

_Also, I'm sorry for the very end._

* * *

"So, what's our plan?"

All of them stood in the War Room, Cantis and all of his advisers and companions, all eagerly awaiting the plans for battle, looking over the plans of the fortress that Mara had provided them with.

"This is what we have." Cullen gestured to the table, and they strained to see. "We move our troops to the main gates, and set up trebuchets just outside of it, raining fire down from the outside. As it does that, we move our troops to the gate, and use a battering ram to kick in the front door. You and the bulk of our forces will go through the gate, and the rest of our soldiers will use ladders to scale the walls and get into the top level."

"That's all?" Cantis asked in disbelief, and Cullen look up at him, looking almost bewildered by the question. " _That's_ your plan to take down _the Grey Wardens_? Cullen, I could protect a box from this plan."

"You don't think it will work?" Cullen looked a little hurt by his lack of faith in him. He had been unsure of this idea himself, but he couldn't have thought of something better.

Cantis shrugged. "I'm not debating it could work. What I'm debating is that we don't have the kind of manpower to throw this many lives at a single battle." He cleared the table, trying to measure his words so as to not hurt Cullen's feelings. Cullen was a Templar, and did remarkably well with what he knew, but he was… inexperienced at being a general for a force of this size. This was war, and if he had a better idea then it needed to be said.

"Here's what we do: replace the catapults with ballistae. Catapults fire large, powerful attacks very slowly, but they fire in an arc, so they won't do much to the walls, and aren't nearly accurate enough to target any of the enemy. Get some experienced crews on the Ballista, and you can get ten shots a minute, maybe more, and they can crumble those walls into rubble. We'd lose the majority of our force if the Wardens are raining arrows and bolts down from the wall onto our men, so we set up archers and crossbowmen on the ridge here." He pointed and looked up to ensure everyone was listening, hanging on his every word. "Have them shoot at the men on the wall. They might not hit anyone, but that doesn't matter. Have them suppress the Wardens, pin them so they can't shoot at our men on the ground. Finally, give all of our men shields to protect themselves. Have them hold it level until they reach the wall, then hold it over their heads. We'll lose a lot less men this way."

"Wait."Mara spoke up, and all eyes turned to her. "There's a Grey Warden vault in Denerim. I have the keys. If we could get someone there..."

"My agents could put them on, infiltrate the Wardens and sow chaos in the battle." Leliana spoke up.

"They could get shot by our own men in the heat of battle." Cantis warned, and Leliana nodded grimly.

"I'll only take volunteers." She offered, partially for him, partially to make Mara happy, and more than a little for her own peace of mind. "We'll also work out a system, callsigns or something like that."

"I can get your ballistae by tomorrow morning." Josephine offered.

"Whatever we do, we're in for one hell of a battle once we get inside." Hawke said. "But I've also seen a hell of a lot worse in my time. I'll lead the way, feet first into hell, and all that. Take out the first wave of defenders."

"I'll go with you." Varric said, with Merrill and Mara nodding in agreement.

"What's this?" Iron Bull pointed to the map, a marked location right in the middle of the fortress.

"An underground waterway." Mara explained, stepping forward. "Rather genius, actually, since it was too dangerous to build aqueducts, but the fortress needed water, so they-"

"Is there a way in?" He asked, cutting her off, and she nodded. "Show me. Me and the boys can get in through there, jump out in the middle of the fight and tear' em a new one."

"I think we've got something here." Cantis nodded approvingly. "Leliana, you go with the archers and ballistae to guide them." She nodded, her mind immediately going to who she would appoint to be there with her. "Josie, you can just stay here and hold down the fort, okay?" She let out an approving sigh, nodding. "Everyone else, you'll accompany me to find Clarel and put an end to this."

Everyone nodded, content with this plan to destroy Adamant Fortress.

"Then let's go to war."

* * *

"My lord?" Josephine voice called through his quarters, and Cantis called to usher her in, putting away the jacket and finer clothes that he wore around Skyhold and getting ready in his battle equipment. "Do you have a moment?"

"For you, Josie? Of course." He smiled as he continued on without looking up at her, busying himself pulling on the red and black coloured overcoat, and fastening his blades at his waist. "What's up?"

"Well, first of all, I have sent notice to a contact of mine in Val Royeaux on what we need, detailing what we need, and how absolutely vital it is that we receive it as soon as possible. She owes me dearly, and should have our equipment ready to move in when we arrive."

"Good, good." He nodded, pulling on his boots and then straightening himself, now meeting her gaze. "Those Ballistae will save a lot of lives. Adamant won't be able to withstand them."

Josephine nodded a little, wringing her hands nervously as she prepared herself for the next thing she was going to say. "I just… came to wish you well. You know I'm not going with you." He nodded, knowing full well that, even if there was something she could do out there, she wouldn't be able to stand the chaos of battle. "So I thought I should wish you luck."

"I make my own luck." He smiled. She had meant well, but it was his own personal policy, one that he led the Inquisition under. He was now independent of the former forces that he had followed blindly, that he had abandoned the Templars and made his own way in the world. That he wouldn't sit around, praying for some god to come and save him, or wait on some organization to do the same. That his life was in his own hands now.

Josephine gave a small shrug, still smiling nervously. "Then I suppose I should suggest you be at full production, then?" Cantis gave a long, heartfelt laugh at that, and her smile widened. "But, really, I… just be safe out there, alright? I don't feel comfortable about the things you're fighting, and… I…" She sighed, and looked up to meet him gazing at her, serious now, waiting on what see was going to say. "I just… have grown to enjoy having you around. I feel comfortable with you around, and I would hate to hear you hurt, or… worse."

"Oh, Josie." He smiled, and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. I've been through worse, and if I'm still here then it's for a reason of some kind. I'm not just going to go and get myself killed, I promise."

"I… just worry." She admitted, looking pained. "Not just about you. People will leave, and I fret that they won't come back. And this battle, it's… going to have me anxious beyond all belief."

"Oh, Josie." He smiled, and wrapped her in a warm, friendly embrace. "It's all going to be okay. We'll just go in there, stop the Wardens, and be back before you know it."

Josephine smiled and returned his embrace.

* * *

Their battle plan worked remarkably well. They managed to set up their ballistae on a nearby ridge overlooking the fortress, and used them to rain wave after wave of massive bolts into the fortress. The Wardens shouted and scrambled to respond, but they had put the artillery out of range of their archers. Under the massive force delivered by their weaponry, the ancient walls of the fortress came crumbling down into little more than a pile of rubble.

While their engines of war tore apart the walls, archers and arbalists moved into position further in the ridge, and began to rain fire down upon the defenders of the ancient castle, the rain of fire blocking the sunlight above them. Few of them found their mark, but it was the fear of death that was truly devastating to them, forcing the Wardens to keep their heads down lest the mark find them. That kept them off of the Inquisition's back while they moved into position.

With the battering rams removed from the plans, the assault was sped up considerably. Instead of standing outside of a wall, waiting on the walls to collapse, all they needed to do was climb over a pile of rubble. The Wardens couldn't react soon enough, having been driven off of the wall and forced to retreat out and into the main courtyard.

Hawke went first into the furious chaos of battle. Between her great and terrible magic, and her extensive swordsmanship skills, the first wave of defenders gave way and their lines buckled before breaking. And all before the rest of the Inquisition could clamber over the wall, she was already on her way to chase after them.

The Wardens came after them, but found the Inquisition a disciplined, well trained fighting force, with plenty of supporting fire. A rain of arrows and bolts came sailing down upon the Wardens, and then their soldiers were upon them, gleaming steel cutting swaths through the Wardens.

Leliana's agents did their tasks admirably, sowing chaos and confusion in the battle. They would cut down the commanding officers while no one was looking, tear apart defences and 'betrayed' the Wardens when they ceased to be on guard. Unfortunately many of them were killed, and only two of the twenty spies survived the mission, but they were all volunteers, and their sacrifices weren't to be forgotten.

Bull's men also did their tasks exceedingly well, springing from the underground water tunnels at the perfect time and tearing apart the Wardens from their flank. The Iron Bull himself went rampaging through the lines in a frenzy, his axe swinging wildly and masses fell under his blade. The didn't accomplish quite as much as Leliana's men, but they also didn't take a single casualty.

Soon thereafter, they found themselves in a stand off with the Warden Commander herself, Dozens of Wardens blocking the way. There was fear in their eyes, as their once impenetrable fortress crumbled around their ears, and they watched their own soldiers fall before endless hordes of the enemy. This was the end, and few of them wanted it to go like this, fighting for a commander who had gone insane, and demons snarling around them.

Above them was a massive Fade Rift that was currently being ripped apart. Inside of it stood a massive demon that radiated clear, commanding power.

But more than that, was who was ripping apart the Rift.

"Tyrant." He whispered, shaking his head sadly. Tyrant was a good man, someone that Cantis respected deeply. He had been through so much, and yet managed to remain a good, determined man. Of course, though. Tyrant had always shown great loyalty to Samson for having protecting him from the Templars, and there was no way he could betray that.

"Traitor." Tyrant nodded curtly, turning to Clarel. "We should hurry."

"Stop." Mara shouted, and all eyes turned to her. "Stop this madness in the name of your Warden-Commander!" She stepped forward, pushing her way through the Wardens. Cantis cringed a little, expecting her to be struck at any moment, but these Wardens respected her greatly, many of whom having served with and been saved by her. "Clarel, this is insanity." She stopped just before the platform where Clarel stood, looking up at her former sister-in-arms. "And you're going to get us all killed. I've received confirmation from Weisshaupt Fortress, I am to relieve you of your command and your men are to stand down."

The Wardens looked around from one to the next, and many put down their weapons, but more looked to Clarel to see what they should do.

"To hell with Weisshaupt." She said at last, and Tyrant nodded grimly.

"Don't forget why we're here." He said. His voice wasn't loud, but it commanded a great presence throughout the courtyard. "We will stop the Blight, whatever it takes."

"Please!" Blackwall stepped forward, and everyone looked to him."You don't know me, but you may have heard my name. Like you, I've given my life to the Grey Wardens. The first time I put on this armor, I felt like I belonged, like I was part of something honorable, something with a purpose. I know how good that feels. How safe. But fighting and dying here today won't stop the Blight. It won't do anything but get you all killed, and then the next Blight will be harder to withstand for it. If you want to stop the Blight, come with the Inquisition."

"We're not here to kill you." Cantis shouted. "Please. We're just here to stop this… insanity. I have nothing but respect for the Wardens. I was there when you stopped the Archdemon at Denerim. This world owes you a debt it can never repay. Five debts, actually. I would not be here if I wasn't absolutely certain that you were making a mistake that could do more damage than the Blight itself."

Clarel paused, freezing a moment and, even as Tyrant shouted out what lies it was, the rest of the Wardens cast down their weapons, turning around to face their Commander and the Red Templar. It didn't matter. The Wardens were with them, even if Clarel wasn't, and they weren't about to throw down their lives for this.

What happened next shocked them all.

Tyrant drew a knife and slit Clarel's throat. He clutched at it, eyes widening in silent shock, and then fell wordlessly. Before anyone could react, he used the blood to tear open the veil even further.

"This is for betraying us all, _Inquisitor_."

A dragon came swooping down from the sky, and they all screamed, diving for cover as it flew past. The rift tore and demons came pouring out. The Wardens shouted and picked up their weapons once more, defending themselves as Tyrant fled.

"Damnit." Cantis shouted, using his own Mark to tear open the veil, using it's might to disintegrate dozens of demons and saving the Warden's lives. "Tyrant's one dangerous man. Mara, Hawke, come with me to get him before he escapes. Everyone else, stay here and help hold off the Demons."

"Wardens!" Mara shouted, now their commander. "Fight off the demons! With the Inquisition!"

"Stay here, Merrill." Hawke commanded, and she looked over, confused. "You know more about demons than anyone else. Help them fight these things off."

"Be safe, Ma Vhenan."

Soon they had him cornered. Tyrant was a dangerous man, constantly flinging spells towards them powerful enough to collapse the fortress where it struck. But Mara's shields kept them alive, and soon they had him backed to a wall on a bridge above where the rift had been ripped. More than that, he was exhausted from the amount of magic he had expended, looking pale and without an ounce of energy left in him.

"Traitor." He gasped, bent over as he tried to stay awake from the sheer amount of magic he had used to tear open a hole in reality itself. "Samson… will see you… dead."

"You can't blame this on me." Cantis defended, stepping forward with two bloody blades in hand. "There's no excuse for this level of madness. From him, or you."

"I don't expect you to understand." He shook his head, standing up as he faced the three heroes. "A new world. A new god."

He threw a massive fireball, but Mara sent it out of the way, crashing harmlessly into the walls. Cantis dove forward, driving his long sword into the Qunari's chest and just narrowly rolling around him before he could suffer a counter attack. Tyrant turned to face him, and Hawke stabbed him through the back, giving Cantis the opportunity to drive both of his blades through the Red Templar's chest. Tyrant howled in pain, and fell to the ground.

"It didn't have to end this way." Cantis mourned, standing over the Qunari as he died.

"Of course it did." He rasped, rolling over as he choked on his own blood. "I'm so… disappointed, in you. Samson will… see you all dead, the… grandmaster… will see you dead. And I… shall laugh."

As they turned to leave, the dragon landed on the bridge behind them. It was huge, and had massive Red Lyrium crystals growing from it's scales, looking unreal, synthetic. It snarled, and began forward.

If Hawke hadn't acted so quickly, that might have been the end. Instead, she lunged forward and seared it's scales with a massive ball of fire. It roared, stepping back, and she began to barrage it with magic, lighting and cold pushing it back to the edge of the bridge.

It reared up again, and she knew that a single gout of it's breath would end all of them. Desperate, she unleashed another barrage of pure energy, but this time striking at the bridge underneath the dragon. It's supports began to buckle, and then it all collapsed.

Down fell the dragon, and so did they. While it managed to rage up it's wings and fly out of the path, the three of them all fell as the bridge collapsed under their feet.

They fell into the open fade rift, and simply disappeared from existence.


	20. Blood for blood

_Author's Note: I'm sorry._

* * *

 Cantis awoke to a green sky above him, and Hawke and Mara standing over him.

"Thank the Maker you woke up." Mara breathed a sigh of relief, giving a weak, tremulous smile. "You took a while, and I..." She shook her head. "Never mind. Welcome to the Fade."

"The Fade?" He groaned, standing up with the help of Hawke's offered hand. "What in the hell happened?"

"We're not sure." Hawke admitted, shrugging as he stood. "But we think that the Fade Rift was open wide enough to have ripped a hole between here and reality, and we fell right through."

"Great." He sighed, shaking himself off and looking around. "Just great. Then how do we get home?"

"We were hoping you might know." Mara said quietly. "You know more about these rifts than us." She shook her head. "Our best guess is… well, we find the rift we fell through, and try to run back through it."

Cantis sighed and nodded. "Well then, let's try."

" _Visitors, are we?_ " An eerie voice came over them, and they looked around frantically for it's owner. " _You've caught me at a bad time, it seems. I was just readying myself to step out and into that world of yours._ "

Mara swallowed hard. "I've been around enough demons to tell you that's one, there."

"The one Tyrant was bringing through the Rift." Cantis said, and Mara nodded.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." Hawke called, smiling at the empty air above with, a cocky, egotistical smile on her lips. "Our world's come to you."

" _So it seems._ " It laughed. " _Well then, allow me to give you a… nightmarish welcome as it were._ "

A bright flash came over them, and they could see nothing more.

* * *

 Cantis awoke to find himself standing in a small forest grove just off of the side of his farm, with a blood red sky above him. His stomach dropped as he realized that the dirt beneath him was soaked in blood.

" _Welcome to my world_." It laughed. " _I hope you never wish to leave. You wouldn't want me to be a bad, host, now would you?_ "

"Wouldn't dream of it." Cantis muttered, and began walking through the path and between the trees. As he did, the sky grew even darker, move blood red, and the ground became further soaked, making him wade through it.

" _I know what you fear. You shouldn't have deigned to oppose me._ "

Two figures were hung from the frees, with broken necks where the rope was hung around them. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he realized it was Abigail and Liam. Their eyes were open, staring at him, and they followed him as he walked further.

" _You killed them. Their last thoughts were of you, and yet you killed them. Your family. The love of your life. Your own child. Their blood covers your hands._ "

Cantis gave a short, self deriving laugh. "And here, I thought you were a demon of fear, or something of the like, here to scare me. Not one of obviousness, here to tell me what I already knew."

" _You use laughter to ease the pain. You think you can still be a hero, even after everything that has happened. After all that you've done._ "

He laughed again. "And apparently a stupid one as well. I don't think that. I've fallen as far as a man can, made myself into the worst person I have ever met. I can't be a hero. All I can do is try and fix what little I can."

" _You can't_."

"Probably not. But I have to try." He said, and this time the demon remained silent. "Come on. Let's see what else you think of me."

Further down the path, more blood, more bodies in the same grotesque fashion. His family from Ostwick, the soldiers who had survived the siege of Skyhold with him. Now the men who had died at Haven, and his friends and companions. Cassandra, Cole, Leliana… all of them, except for...

At the end of the path was him. He was filled with Red Lyrium, looking more mutated than the worse of the Red Templars, and he sat on a throne of flesh and bodies. He had a wicked smile on his face, his fingers tented as he watched the blood and destruction.

At his feet sat Josephine, in a black and ripped dress, her skin black and ripped. Her eyes were white and black, looking almost like a Darkspawn. Kept alive and corrupted, warped and twisted in to a grotesque pet.

" _This is what you are. All you inevitably will be, all you will leave behind._ "

* * *

 Hawke awoke in the streets of Kirkwall, and found it exactly as it had been during the battle between the Templars and Mages, streets on fire, innocents caught in the way of mages turned to demons and templars drunk on their own power.

" _Welcome home._ "

Hawke took a breath, and nodded. "Good to be back, messere spider thing."

" _Such pride, such arrogance. Why, I wonder? Does it cover the insecurities? Does it make it easier to live with your failures?_ " Hawke ignored him, knowing that demons thrived on information and she would give it none. " _You want to conquer, dominate, bend the world to your will. Enrich yourself without limit for the sake of power. Why? Do you feel like a failure? How many times has this world humiliated you? Forcing you to kill for money? To work as a scullery maid?_ " It lowered it's voice ominously. " _Force you to work as a whore, to sell yourself to keep your money to keep your family fed? You think you're unique?_ " And yet she remained silent. All that is said was true, she knew, but it wasn't to be responded to. " _Very well. Head on inside, 'Champion'._ "

Knowing that she was in it's world, and would have to play by it's rules, at least for the moment, headed inside of her manor.

Inside sat Leandra, her mother, wearing that hideous wedding dress with the stitches across her face, bringing chills back to her as she remembered that day.

" _You failed her, didn't you? Everything you did, you did for her, and she hated you. Was it worth it? To sell yourself, to work your fingers to the bone for her? Admit it. You hated her too, and yet you never stopped. Perhaps if you hadn't spent so much time trying to reclaim her life, if you had stayed at home and said that you loved her, she might still be here._ "

Hawke crossed her arms, an expression of stone. She had done the right thing, that much she was sure of. Everything she had done was the right thing, it was the rest of the world who was unable to recognize that.

" _She hated how you would go out, continue your life of crime. You were nobility, why did you need to continue putting your life on the line? Perhaps if you hadn't made yourself so prominent, called so much attention to you and her, she might not have been found by that murderer._ "

It fell silent, and she continued walking, just waiting for her moment to kickback against it. In the main room, Bethany and Carver's corpses sat in the fine, heavy wood chairs.

" _How many people have you killed, I wonder? How many sisters, how many brothers? You should have been the one to be killed by the Darkspawn. Not sweet, innocent Bethany. The poor, wide eyed girl who admired you so deeply, who adored you so much. And you let her be murdered and desicrated. And Carver? You always hated him, didn't you? Him, with this fancy soldier job, that he always waved at you. That's why you brought him to the Deep Roads, isn't it? To watch him choke and die on his own blood?_ "

Hawke continued on. It was true, at least for Bethany. She should have been killed. And true, she had resented Carver as much as he resented her, but he chose to come to the Deep Roads, choose his fate. She couldn't be held accountable for his actions, he was his own man.

The only accessible place left was the bedroom.

Inside was Merrill, standing with her back turned to Hawke, wearing the armour she had gifted the young Dalish girl.

" _And we come to Merrill. Poor, sweet, innocent Merrill. Too good for this world. Had she never met you, she could have just gone back to the Dalish and forgotten all about her little mirror. But no. You just had to ruin her life, didn't you? You made her life worse by having been in it. You showed a little power, gave her a smile, and the poor girl thought she loved you. You tricked her into your bed, and made her think her heart was yours. What will she do once you are gone? Go back to her demons, begin making deals. I think I'll keep you alive so you can see when we take her mind, see the sweet little Dalish be corrupted and twisted by us, until there's nothing left but a husk._ "

At that, Merrill turned around, and Hawke gasped as she realized her wife had the eyes of a Pride Demon.

* * *

 Mara awoke to find herself in their small, cozy house located in Denerim, and took a deep breath as she readied herself to face a demon, remembering everything she had been taught in the Circle.

" _And here we come to The Mighty Warden._ "

"Spare me." She called, a commanding voice that demanded she be listened to. "This isn't real, and neither are you. Get out of my head, you wispy son of a bitch."

" _I like you._ " It laughed in her ear. " _It's a shame I have to break you._ "

"Get on with it then."

In the next room was dozens of bodies lay out across the room. The people she had let down during the Blight. Irving, Connor, Isolde, Harrowmont, Alistair… the list went on and on, and she felt almost ashamed that she couldn't even remember all of their names.

" _So young, so inexperienced. Who thought you could be a Grey Warden? A saviour? You were but sixteen years old. No wonder so many people died because of you. So many people you let down, because you were too idiotic to know better than to play hero._ "

"And how many more would have died had I not tried?" She asked, knowing full well the answer. "Perhaps many died because I failed, but many more would have died had I never stepped up to try? Hm?" It fell silent, without an answer. "You're goddamn right." She normally didn't swear, especially after having Grace, but Demons deserved her full anger to deal with.

In the next room was Leliana's body, and Mara gave an annoyed sigh.

" _I'm curious: what ran through your head when you made her kill Marjoline? The woman that she loved? Jealousy? Did you want her all for yourself? Or did you actually think it was a good idea, to completely destroy her life? It's a miracle she ever decided to use you for your body._ "

"You're really bad at this. I'm shocked." She piped up, knowing exactly where to needle it. She walked up to 'Leliana', and moved the face around. "This doesn't even kind of look like Leliana." The freckles were missing, not to mention it had the nose all wrong. "If you're trying to make me scared, you've failed. I'm a witch, and the only one with any real magic here is me."

" _You just don't really understand, do you?_ " It sounded annoyed now, and she smiled for it. " _Fine. One more visit, and then I can swallow your soul. Fair?_ "

"Fair." She shrugged, and headed off.

In the next room was Grace, sitting alone and looking happy and content, reading a book on plants and animals in her room.

"You sure aren't one to go for subtlety." Mara sighed. "Alright. Let's see what you got."

" _I can only wonder if her life would have been better without you. She lived on the streets and starved every day, but is she truly happier now? Now you drag her from battle to battle, you and your Bard. She surely resents you under all of that, and surely wants to see the day of which you fall in battle, lest your war claim her in turn._ "

"If you don't think she's happy, you should see her more often." Mara laughed, shaking her head. "You should see her smile when she wakes up and I made her favourite breakfast. You should see the way she looks at me when she's grateful she can sleep in a bed for once. You should hear her giggle when I read her bedtime story, hear the love in her voice when she tells me how much she adores having me in her life."

* * *

 The Nightmare demon had made a two fatal mistakes in everything it had done: firstly, it had taken it's time, and now the Fade rift was collapsing. It hadn't been completely opened, and was now straining to remain open, and it needed one of them to rip it apart.

And secondly? The three of them were the same in a single way ways.

Mara was the innocent who had been broken down by the world, and risen from it's ashes. Hawke was the woman who had been whored out by everything the world had to offer, and come out stronger for it. Cantis was the murderer, the monster who had to face the realization that redemption didn't exist, and yet would continue trying for as long as he still drew breath. They were, for all of their differences, all people who had been beaten down, broken by the world they lived in, and refused to give in. That was what separated them from other people in their lives. There was no special power that made them stand out from the rest, some special skill in their sword arms or a specific fire in their heart. They were people who had been dishonoured by the world, and stood taller for it.

And now it would suffer for it.

Together, all as one, they resisted it within it's own domain. Cantis' Mark ripped him back to the main rift they sought, and Mara and Hawke both used their magic to do much the same. They all drew their blades, and readied themselves for battle. Between them and the rift stood the nightmare demon.

The whole world shifted and ripped, ripping apart, and they were nearly thrown from their feet because of it. It was collapsing around their ears.

"Shit." Cantis shouted as he steadied himself, looking to the demon. Even though it wouldn't be difficult to fight it off, they didn't have time. But it stood directly in front of the rift that they needed to escape.

"I'll distract it." Mara said as they all realized what needed to happen. "Get out of here. Let Leliana know I love her, tell Grace her mom loves her more than anything else."

"No." Hawke defied, turning to her. "What are the odds that thing'll kill you? Let me take care of it. I'm indestructible, and I want some one on one time that bastard."

"No." Mara shook her head. "You have Merrill. Besides, the Wardens created this problem, and we'll be the ones to fix it."

"Decide quickly." Cantis shouted as the world began to collapse. He would have run forward and given himself, no questions asked, except he knew how much chaos there would be without him.

"Listen to me," Hawke said seriously. "I watched my own mother die, held her in my arms as she did. I'm not going to put Grace through that loss, least not until she has to." Mara opened her mouth to refute that, and found she couldn't. Hawke drew her blade, readied her magic, and then ran head first into it.

"Take a last look around while you're still alive." Hawke shouted, laughing a little under her breath as she began to tackle the demon, driving it back and away from the rift. "Because you're about to head to see if there's a Maker."

Cantis and Mara escaped through the Rift, and it realized too late what had happened.

"Come on, you son of a bitch." Hawke smiled. "Let's dance."

* * *

 Merrill stepped from the crowds, pushing her way to the front of find Hawke. But instead the only ones who stood was Cantis and Mara, looking hollow and defeated as the rift into the fade closed behind them.

"Where is Hawke?" She asked, a break in a voice raw and rough of fear. Where could she be? She had fallen into the Fade with the others. And yet… they were here, and she wasn't.

Both of the them looked away from her, not daring to look her in the eye. No, it couldn't be. Surely Hawke was coming right behind them. Whatever had happened in the Fade couldn't be enough to drag Hawke down, not when nothing else up until this point had.

But… where was she? The rift was closed, and the others began walking to the platform to address the Wardens. Words echoed in her head of what he said, but none of them registered as her breath picked up in her ears.

Where was Hawke?

Merrill fell to her knees, blood pounding in her fingers and ears. There were tears falling that she never felt, a scream that she didn't make in her throat. Warm arms were wrapped around her, and she felt Varric crying on her as well when she threw her arms around him.

Not Hawke. Anyone but Hawke.


	21. Cupid Carries a Gun

"Hey, Inquisitorialness?" Varric asked, approaching the throne where Cantis sat. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Cantis groaned, straining to sit up. It had been nearly a week since the Siege of Adamant. Their wounds were now starting to heal, and their thoughts could once more turn to the future. The Wardens had willingly surrendered to his judgement, and he had allowed them to join with the Inquisition, under Mara's supervision and strict watching from the rest of the Inquisition.

"I'm real worried about Daisy." He admitted, and Cantis nodded grimly. Over the last week, the two of them had been emotional devastated over the loss of their beloved Hawke. Neither was convinced she was dead, but they also knew that the odds of them ever finding her again was… against them. "She won't talk to me, she won't eat, she barely sleeps..."

"That's what loss is like." Cantis nodded sadly. It hurt so much that he had left Hawke behind, that he had put the two of them through that. But otherwise he would be watching Grace do the same, and that would be so much worse. "I did the same when I lost Abigail, and Liam."

"Yeah, I know." Varric nodded sadly. He had at first blamed the Inquisitor for it, but soon realized that he couldn't. Hawke was a hero, even if she refused to call herself as much, and it was always going to end this way. "But I think she's… she might… you know, try and see Hawke again."

"You think she might?" Cantis asked, sitting up as a knot of dread tightened in his chest. Varric just shrugged helplessly. Quite simply, he didn't know. "Shit. Well… what do you think I can do?"

"I don't know." Varric didn't have any idea what to do. He missed Hawke, terribly. It hurt so much to have lost Hawke, to have been the one to have brought her here only to have her taken away. But he continued on, because… well, because that was the only thing he knew how to do. But Daisy… "You knew her too, was there when she ran off. Maybe… maybe you can come with me to talk to her? I'd feel better knowing you're there, at least."

"If you want me to." Cantis shrugged, and Varric nodded. "Not sure what I can accomplish, but sure. Let's go talk to her."

* * *

 Varric took a heavy, shaking breath, and opened the room that had been set aside for Merrill and Hawke.

"Hey Daisy." He called. "Brought you some more food, and I thought-"

The entire room was a testament to Merrill's grief. The bed was torn apart, the pillows looking beaten and even still a little wet. There was uneaten food on the table that looked moulded and uneaten. There were holes in the wall and books still left open on the desk.

More than all of that, however, was that the room was empty.

"Daisy?" Varric called, now a distressed tone to his voice as he looked around, stepping into the empty room. "Daisy?!"

She was gone.

"Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit." Varric began to look around, frantically flipping through books and paper. "Daisy?!"

Cantis began to look around as well, flipping through things helplessly, looking for something, anything. He didn't know her well, but he couldn't stomach losing yet another friend… especially not like this.

He found a note, in her handwriting, and skimmed through it quickly.

"Varric?" He called, and the dwarf looked over to him. "You're going to want to see this."

_Varric,_ It read.

_I know that you just want to move on from this, to make amends and keep going forward._

_I can't._

_Without Hawke, what am I? I've failed at everything I've ever done. At being Marethari's First, at being Mahariel's friend, at repairing the Mirror._

_There was one night, that I remember, that I want you to hear. It was just after Hawke and I became a we, before we lost Leandra. I remember hearing you, Isabela and Hawke all talking and laughing in the other room, over dinner, while me and Leandra had tea and talked about you all. If I could have lived up to that moment, not one second more… that would have been perfect._

_I can't sleep without seeing her face, can't eat without tasting her cooking. Ever since she left, everything just seems so… pointless. Everything has been ruined, torn apart… killed. I have nothing, no one. It's all gone._

_I can't fail her too. She's out there somewhere, and I can't stop until I find her._

_The Eluvian is still in Kirkwall. I will bring her back, even if I have to storm the Fade itself to do it._

"Well..." Varric took a deep breath as he read it for the third time, the whole room in an icy silence as he did. "That could have been worse, I guess. At least we know that she's still alive. But… shit. I thought we got her away from that demon-blood magic crap."

"I didn't understand." Cantis said, waiting for Varric to look up, satisfied with his reading. "What's an Eluvian? It kind of took an odd turn at the end there."

"I don't quite understand what it is." He admitted. "But it's this magic mirror thing that the Dalish made, apparently allows you to enter the Fade or something like that. They all got destroyed though, far as we know, but Daisy's been dedicating herself to fixing an old, broken one, using Blood Magic. She made some pretty impressive progress, managing to make a pretty whole mirror out of just a shard, but we eventually managed to convince her to stop after it got someone killed."

"She killed them?" Cantis asked, taken slightly aback. Granted, he hadn't known her well at all, and people obviously changed over time, but that was like saying Josephine had killed someone with Blood Magic. It just didn't seem to fit.

"No." Her shook his head. "This lady kinda… well, kinda killed herself to try and get Merrill to stop. It's a long story, but anyway it's… kinda bad news if she's gone back to it. She used to shut herself away from the rest of world, would stay in there for hours cutting herself up for blood to use to fix it." He gave a pained sigh. "Well, I doubt we can catch her now. I guess all we can hope is that she's okay."

"All we can do." Cantis nodded sadly, shaking his head. "She seems pretty determined to find Hawke again. I'm sure if she needs help she'll send a letter or something."

"Let's hope." Varric agreed. "Besides, Aveline's still in Kirkwall, and Broody's probably there too. Neither of them likes her much, but I doubt they'd just turn her away if she asked for help. Else Hawke might come rampaging out of the Fade to teach 'em a lesson." He clapped Cantis on the shoulder, giving a small smile. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink later for helping me."

* * *

 Mara awoke to sunlight streaming in the stain-glass windows, down and onto their bed like the light of the Maker's blessing.

She rolled over a little, and smiled as she felt Leliana's warmth beneath the blankets, curling up in a lovely embrace. It was a nice change from the years and days of battle, of death and disease. Being able to bask in the sunshine, light shining down onto her as she cuddled up with the love of her life. There would be things to do later, surely: Grace would be awake soon, she was now the only person capable of leading the Wardens, Leliana was still the Spymaster of the Inquisition… but for now, it was perfect.

"Mmm… good morning..." Leliana smiled as she groaned. Of all the ways to wake up, this was certainly one of the most pleasant she could think of, even if she would have wanted to continue sleeping. "My angel." She leaned over and gave her wife a kiss on the forehead, eliciting a silly, happy giggle. "At this rate, I'll never want to leave this bed."

"Why should we?" Mara stretched before curling further into Leliana's arms. "I could spend my whole life here, with you. At any rate, I'm sure Gracie can look after herself for a little while, and this Inquisition can surely survive without you for a few hours, at the very least."

Leliana laughed, tightening her embrace. "I'm not so sure. Grace's been absolutely beaming since you got back, was almost impossible to get her to bed last night. I don't think you'll have five minutes alone today."

"She sure does take after me." Mara nodded in agreement. "Was like that when I was little, guess we taught her well. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree and all that."

"But we have to make sure she never has to suffer through the things we did." Leliana said, and Mara nodded in agreement. They had to ensure the stories and songs of what they had done remained just that – stories to her. That she would never suffered as they had.

"I love you." Leliana whispered after they had fallen into a comfortable, loving silence. "Don't… don't leave like that again."

"I won't." Mara shook her head lightly, laying her head on Leliana's chest to hear the strong, methodical heartbeat that lay beneath, almost musical in it's rhythms. "I'm here, and nothing's taking me away again."

* * *

 Cantis realized he wasn't happy.

He was sitting alone in the Herald's Rest tavern in the middle of Skyhold. Varric had brought him here to fulfil on his promise and had been drinking with him until someone had come by to pull him away, saying something about imposter writer or something along those lines, and now he sat alone.

The Iron Bull and the rest of the Bull's chargers were in the tavern as well, drinking, singing and generally being a nuisance for everyone else in the tavern, not to mention how many of the rest of his inner circle was here too: Sera, Blackwall and Dorian, among others. He sat there, just listening to their drunken banter and nonsensical shouts from the party. Bull grabbed the redheaded tavern girl of the night, pulling her into his lap, kissing and groping at her. It smelled of stale piss and vomit in here, and that was what tore it for him.

He paid up, leaving an extremely generous tip, and left.

Cantis stepped out and onto the battlements, taking a deep breath of the cold, refreshing northern air as evening began to settle in to the castle. Now that was better. He tried to be a fun, pleasant person to be around, but he was a classical man who had been born in the wrong era. Wine, warm food and cold air was what he thought of a perfect evening, not cheap alcohol that made drunken louts out of normally good people. Come to think of it, Josephine was one of the only people in the world he had ever met like himself, who didn't have her head filled with the same political bullshit that the rest of the nobility did, and wasn't too focused on herself and her own devices like so many others.

He smiled a moment, thinking it a miracle he had found Liam in his life. Else he likely would have lived alone his whole life. There wasn't a place left in the world for men like him, and that was even before his distaste towards sexual matters.

"Too chaotic for your tastes?" A voice came, and he turned. Leliana was approaching behind him, fingers entwined behind her. She has begun wearing her hood down now that Mara was with them, and she looked more… human for it, more like herself.

"Oh, it's my fault." He sighed, turning back to look out over as evening took the valley. "Hardly a place for people like me in this world. The nobility is too focused on politics to give a damn about anyone else, and the rest of the world's much the same, even if for different reasons."

"I understand." Leliana nodded, standing beside him. "I'm afraid I didn't just come to talk about this, however."

Cantis took a deep breath, ready to plunge back into the world of death and politics. "Alright." He turned back to her. "What's going on?"

"I had noticed that you and our dear Lady Montilyet have gotten quite close, no?" Cantis shrugged. Sure, he enjoyed spending time with Josephine, quite a bit. He liked to think of everyone here as his friend, able to adjust himself and speak freely with them all, even given the clashes of personality, but Josephine was… different. He often felt like she was the only one here who understood him.

"Sure, I enjoy spending time with her." He admitted nonchalantly. "Why's that a cause for you to confront me over it?"

"I had just noticed it." She kept her voice metered, measuring every last word carefully. "You seemed to like her quite a bit, and I had wondered if your thoughts had turned to something… else."

Cantis sighed. Of course that's what this was about. Sure, he had considered it before. He and Josephine spent a lot of time together, had a lot of things in common, and were more than a little close. She even reminded him of Liam, in a way. But it hurt to think about her that way, so soon after he had murdered his own husband. Besides, she deserved better than an old soldier with too many painful memories.

"I don't know." He admitted, shrugging. "I can't deny I've thought about being with her, romantically. But…" He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. Why? What do you care?"

"It's my job to be curious about these things." Leliana's eyes were cold, calculating. She liked him fine, but Josephine was her friend, and he would inevitably hurt her, and that she couldn't allow. "An… entanglement with our ambassador seems most unwise. More than that, Josephine is my friend, and I wouldn't see her hurt."

Cantis met her eyes with his own serious gaze that could put hers to shame. "I would put it on the table that what I would want from her would be intellectual and romantic, not something so… venereal as what you think." He paused a moment, holding her gaze seriously, ensuring his point was taken. "But, beside that, you're right."

"I am?" Leliana asked in surprise, taken aback by that.

"You are." He nodded. "I… Josephine deserves better. Because you're right. Whatever I do, whatever my intentions are, I will eventually hurt her. It's the kind of person I am. My world is… fire, and blood. I'm an old soldier who's done something he can't redeem himself from, doing the best I can." He took a deep, shaky breath. "She won't end up like Liam. I love her, and that means I have to stay away." He gestured at her. "There. That enough for you?"

She looked at him closely, as if trying to size up the honesty in his words before nodding slowly. "I'm glad you can see that." She said as he did.

"Okay then." Cantis nodded. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I should probably get some dinner before bed." Then he turned and stormed off. Leliana let out an exasperated sound. That had hurt, but it needed to be done.

"Leliana?" A soft voice came from behind her, and she turned to face Mara, who had been watching from the shadows. "What are you doing?"

"Hi, Mon Ange." She smiled, but Mara didn't smile back. "Was just talking to our dear Inquisitor."

"I can see that." She stepped forward to meet her wife. "You were being cruel for no reason, Leli. What were you doing? Trying to break them up? Couldn't you see the pain you put him through?" Mara felt emotions exceptionally well through her magic, but she didn't need it to know him to be distressed over what she had done.

"You don't understand, love." Leliana tried to defend herself, raising her hands. "Josephine is a… very vulnerable woman, emotionally. An innocent woman who, even if she's no stranger to courtly intrigue, is a stranger to love. And he's… dangerous. The last person he loved is dead now, because of him, and even if I do trust him, I think he'd hurt her."

Mara bit her lip and folded her arms. She hated siding against Leliana, but she could also see that her wife was just plain scared of what could happen. She couldn't let her ruin someone else's chance at the happiness that she had just because of what might be. "Leliana, do you know who you sound like?"

Leliana sighed. "No. Who do I sound like?"

"Wynne, when she tried to break us up."

"I do not!" Leliana defended, but was only met by a stony silence and raised eyebrow. "Maker's breath, I do, don't I?"

"Almost point for point." Mara agreed. "Leliana, I love you, with all of my heart. And if I had listened to what was right, what was best for everyone, we wouldn't be here today. I would have likely died with the Wardens, you lot wouldn't have found out about Adamant, you would be miserable, and Grace would still be an orphan." She unfolded her arms and took Leliana's hands in hers. "Whatever will be, will be. And sometimes, we have to let people take a chance on themselves, even if it's not smart, even if they might get hurt. Because we're all just people, and we all have a right to make our own mistakes."

"I..." Leliana took a deep breath as she realized what she had done. She had just wanted to ensure that Josie was safe, but she hadn't considered if she might be better off on her own. "You're… right, my angel. As usual. I just… thought they wouldn't know what they were doing… and-"

"Leliana." She smiled, shaking her head. "I think he's older than you, and they're both older than me. Let them live their own lives. If something happens, just be there for Josie to help her deal with it. He doesn't seem at all the kind to abuse her, they both seem sweet enough and would be cute together. Even if it wouldn't work, even if the two of them never decided to try it, you shouldn't be the one to stand in the way of their possibilities."

Leliana took a deep swallow, and looked to the main structure of Skyhold, thinking on what she should do now.

Soon she found herself in Josephine's office, trying to set things right.

* * *

 "Hey Josie." Cantis greeted as he passed through her office to the war room, just about ready for bed but having to get some more things done before the night ended.

"My lord." She stood from her chair, and he stopped. "Leliana came by and talked to me."

"Oh?" An anxious knot began in his chest as she walked up to him. "What about?"

"I..." She paused, running a hand through her hair as she thought. "Might we go talk somewhere more private?"

Cantis bit his lip, the knot tightening, but he nodded slowly. Soon they found themselves in his room, both sitting on the heavy-set leather couch. She sat next to him, but turned so that they were opposite one another.

"So, what's this about?" He asked nervously. There was something in her eyes. A sadness, almost, but also one of honesty, the one that she got when she was being diplomatic with the people who were actually reasonable.

"Leliana came and told me that you two had talked about… well, us." He took a deep breath and nodded, now utterly anxious. What was Leliana playing at? Telling him he was unworthy of having her in his life, then turn around and tell Josephine? "She said that she… realized how unreasonable she was being in that conversation, and told me to discuss this with you directly."

"How… much did she say about what I said?" He asked, tenting his fingers nervously.

"Not much." Josephine nodded. "She only said that she attempted to discourage you from pursuing a… romantic relationship with me."

"I see." Cantis nodded in turn, breathing a brief sigh of relief that she hadn't revealed more. "Well… yes, she did."

"She has no right to meddle in our affairs." Josephine began to gush, having been preparing what she would say the whole time she had been waiting on him. "I have talked with her, and made it very, very clear that she is not to do anything of the sort again. Whatever happens between us, she has agreed to stay out of it."

"That's reassuring." He nodded, smiling a little at her. "So… where do we stand then, Josie?"

"I… don't know." She admittedly slowly. "I… have you ever… considered… us, before?"

"I..." He considered lying, here and now, but that wasn't in his nature. "Can't say I haven't. But… Josie, you deserve better than me."

"My lord." Josephine shook her head, putting a gentle hand ontop of his. "I don't think I could. I… had considered us, before, but… well, you still seem to love your husband."

"I do." Cantis admitted, enjoying having her hand on his more than he should. "I… don't know. I love Liam, it's true, Abigail too. But… I don't know. The two of us haven't really been together since I left the Red Templars, almost a year ago, and..." He smiled at her. "I guess… I guess I'm willing to give this a chance, if you're willing to give an old man like me a chance."

Josephine just smiled at him, eyes sparkling in the late evening. He smiled back at her, and gave into the inevitable, roaring inevitability of what was about to happen. Very gently, he raised a hand to her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. She was warm, smelled of the ocean, and was so incredibly sweet.

For a moment, just a brief moment, all was right in the world.

* * *

 Merrill pulled back the tarp she had laid over it. Sure enough, there was a massive mirror, taller than her. Almost as broken, too. It was the same as when she had left it, save for the thick layer of dust over the frame.

She took a deep breath, and grabbed for her knife.

"I'm coming, Ma Vhenan. I promise."


	22. Decadence

_Author's Note: Sorry about this chapter and the next. I've never been a fan of this mission, and it was very hard to write. So these next two chapters might not be that good, sorry about that._

* * *

"Josie, I feel silly." Cantis laughed as he entered into her office. She looked up and smiled.

"You look lovely!" She cooed, standing from her desk. He was wearing a fancy black coat with a golden Inquisition symbol on the back, alongside a white velvet doublet, fine noble clothes fit for meeting with royalty. Josephine was, in turn, wearing a dark black dress with dark blue overtones and a white lacy undershirt, wearing a black drape jacket with the same gold Inquisition.

It had been five months since Adamant. Five long months. Ones where they hadn't been given chances to sleep, ones where they had worked day and night to defeat the Red Templars. They had gone more silent after their loss at Adamant, but still there was work to be done to defeat the Red Templars at their every military move, not to mention building up the Inquisition's power and influence.

Cantis felt more than a little bad about being neglectful of Josephine, seeing as to how hard the both of them had to work and how stressed she seemed all the time. It was hard enough to set aside time for kisses in the gardens and the occasional dinner together. And, sadly, it didn't seem tonight was to be any different.

Now that autumn had passed and the snow had begun to wash over the rest of southern Thedas, the empress had announced her Winter Ball. The same one that the Red Templars intended to assassinate her during. They, along with most rest of the Inquistion, were headed there now, having been invited to the war council considering that they were settled on Orlesian lands, and a considerable power in the world's politics. He wished he could have brought Josephine without the assassination hanging over them, simply enjoyed the dinner and dancing. But, alas, the world never slept.

"I know how much you hate the politics." Josephine said in that loving, happy voice that she had whenever she was with him. "But try and enjoy the party. The empress is known for throwing the most exquisite parties, and it's very exclusive."

"So long as the world doesn't end, and I get to walk in with you on my arm, I'll call it a good day." He laughed as she straightened his coat out.

"I promise you the latter." Josephine smiled at him, laying a hand on his cheek. "And I have faith for you for the former." She stood on her toes and kissed him, gentle and sweet that they both smiled at.

"Well, now I can't let the world end anymore."

In the main hall, they found everyone else ready. Most of the rest of the Inquisition's inner circle was going, dressed in the same colour scheme that they had chosen: black overtones, white under, and gold Inquisition symbols on the back. Sera and Cole had not been invited, which everyone agreed was for the best, including them, and Solas had turned down the invitation. Additionally, Mara was staying behind to take care of her little one, the two of them playing in the library together.

"There they are." Cullen said as they came out of her office. "We were beginning to think you have skipped out on us."

"Were that I could, Cullen." Cantis laughed. "Were that I could."

"You know how much I hate wearing a shirt, boss." Bull complained. "Why can't I go without it? I'll bet you and scribble's job will be easier if all the noble's are wanting to ride the bull."

"Everyone is keeping their shirts on for this party." Cantis warned, even as he smiled. "Seriously. If we get kicked out, half of Thedas'll burn."

"Yeah, yeah." Bull nodded. "Fine. Always end of the world this, and Thedas'll burn that."

Cantis took a deep breath and then looked to Josephine, and they both gave each other a tremulous smile.

"No time to waste, then."

* * *

"Lord Cantis Trevelyan, exiled lord of the Free Marches, former military commander of Ostwick, co-founder and current leader of the Inquisition and all of her holding."

Cantis sighed as the announcer called out his arrival, summing up his entire life in a single sentence. He stepped through the gates to the Winter Palace, Josephine's arm entwined with his as they saw the crowds of nobles gawking at them and their companions.

"Accompanying him: Lady Josephine Cherette Montilyet, first of the Montilyet family, former ambassador of Antiva to Orlais, and current ambassador to the Inquisition."

"Don't worry too much about this." Josephine whispered into his ear, craning her neck up a little. "You'll just have to find the Red Templar in the crowd, and stop him. Celene will be so overjoyed she'll agree to anything we ask. Then we can just enjoy the evening, together."

"So long as I got you here." He smiled, half listening to the crowd gasping in awe as they heard Leliana and Blackwall's accolades, then turned his attention to Josie.. "Where do you think we should start looking? I want to get this over with as soon as we can, get it over with to enjoy the rest of the evening."

"I don't know." She admitted. "But your Red Templars would have sent their best, hm?" Cantis nodded grimly. "The Empress likes to wait awhile on arriving from her chambers, makes a grand entrance of it to get people to talk. Whoever they sent will likely wait until that to reveal themselves, and likely longer to wait on the war council at the end of the night to make their move."

"I'll bet so too, if that's the case." Cantis nodded, patting to feel the knife in his coat. "They won't dare deploy anyone till Celene is in play. And killing her immediately before the war council would make it infinitely easier to pin it on someone else. So, I guess we just wait for them to make their first move."

"I suppose so." She nodded, stepping through the grand doors and into the palace. "Would you mind if we took a detour then, if we simply have to wait?"

"Sure." He shrugged. "So long as it doesn't take all night, I guess. What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, no, no. It shouldn't take long at all." She looked over at him, smiling into his eyes. "Would you mind meeting my sister, Yvette? I mean, she said she would be here, and we've been together a while, and thought you might enjoy meeting some of my family. So long as that's not an imposition, I-"

"Josie, Josie." He smiled, pulling her closer to him. "I would be delighted to. Your family means so much to you, it's the least I can do to meet with them. Where's she at?"

"Oh, likely drinking wine and chatting up any young boy who comes by her." Josephine shook her head good naturedly, smiling as she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Caro Mio. She said she would meet me upstairs, by the cocktail lounge."

Sue enough, they soon found her sitting up next to the bar upstairs in a massive, half circle room with a glass ceiling and enough room to seat a small army. "Josie!" Yvette cried as she saw her sister, sitting up and taking Josephine into her arms. Her accent was thicker than Josephine's, but younger and at a higher pitch. "You finally made it!"

"It's good to see you." Josephine smiled wide enough for her eyes to crinkle upwards looking overjoyed in her won way to see her sister again. "It's been such a long time, cucciola." She pulled back, meeting her sister's eyes. "How are things back home?"

"Ugh, boorring." Yvette rolled her eyes, releasing her sister from her embrace. "Mother keeps insisting I pass these finishing school classes, even though I don't want to."

Josephine smiled. Of course, that sounded just like Yvette. "Keep at it, sweetie." She encouraged, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "At least she'll be happy for it, and you might learn something from it."

"I would rather hear about your life." Yvette led them back to the bar, ordering another cocktail for herself. "You're the diplomat for _The Inquisition_. That must be so exciting! Tell me everything!" She looked over to Cantis, who had been watching bemusedly. "And who's this fine young man?"

"This is the Inquisitor, Cantis." She motioned, and he stepped closer, shaking Yvette's hand.

"I guess that loveliness is a trait that runs in the family, hmm?" Cantis smiled, and Yvette begun to blush, looking away as she giggled. He was only being polite, to be certain. She wasn't at all like Josephine, or perhaps she was only like her in her younger days. But still, he was beginning to grow even closer to Josephine, and getting a good impression in the family was likely a good idea.

As she giggled and tried to cover her blush with drink, Josephine leaned in and whispered to Yvette: "He's mine."

"I can see why you like him." Yvette nodded approvingly. "You two have been all the talk of the royal court back home for the last four months."

'Really?" Cantis asked, leaning at the bar beside them in an almost familiar way, as if this was something that they did all of the time.. "What do they say?"

"Depends on who you ask." Yvette looked to him, smiling and drinking. "There's some people who say boring things, that the ambassador and Inquisitor are courting, about how ' _improper_ ' it is, but then there's some fun rumours. Is it true that the two of you are planning to run off to the Anderfels and become Grey Wardens?"

Cantis threw his head back and laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of that thought. "Why, of course. I've already packed our things, didn't I, Josie?"

"Please, Cantis, don't give her any more ammunition." Josephine rolled her eyes even as she smiled at her sister. "At this rate, she won't keep quiet about it for weeks, now. Yvette, we are _not_ going to be Grey Wardens."

"Aww," Yvette pouted. "Josie, you're never any fun."

At that, a man in a Orlesian Royal Army uniform came up to them, looking sloshed out of his mind. "H-hey..." He slurred, smiling and leaning up next to them. "Get these young ladies a drink one on me!"

"Oooh, thank you." Yvette giggled, as she accepted the next one.

"I'm afraid I'm not drinking this evening. Josephine said in her most apologetic voice. "Have to keep myself aware of the Game and all that."

The soldier laughed, and Cantis was reminded of the Chevalier Red Templar in the world way possible. The haughty laugh, the drunken stature, the overconfident swagger he had to him. "Get this lady double!" He laughed. "She's clearly not drunk enough!"

He stepped up and laid a hand on Josephine's shoulder, and Cantis felt anger oil up inside of him. Josie looked uncomfortable at that, shaking him off only to find him come even closer, a lewd and venereal motion.

"Hey!" He called up, and the man looked over at him with annoyance in his eyes. "The Lady said no."

"An who the 'ell are you?" He slurred, stepping towards Cantis. " _The Inquisitor_ , was it? Some bloody foreigner, what with your stupid accent, coming in and onto our land to come and fix all our problems, is that it?"

"My stupid accent, hm?" He smiled grimly, looking the man in the eyes. "Go away."

The soldier let out an annoyed groan and turned away, walking off. "Fine. You can go to hell." Then he turned back and laughed. "And take your stupid Antivan cow with you!"

That hurt. He turned to see Josie looking away, trying to cover up the pain that the words had brought. He was just some stupid, drunk idiot, true, but it hurt to have people comment on her weight. Cantis gritted his teeth and followed after the man, pulling him around by his shoulder.

"I was going to let you go without a fuss." He hissed, now boiling over with anger. No one talked tat way about her. It didn't matter if it started a diplomatic incident, this was personal now.

"Oh?" The soldier slurred. "And what about now, hm?"

"Well, now I'm going to feed you your teeth."

The soldier struck first, making a half hearted punch at him, which Cantis blocked in a single movement, and then laid him out with a single, smooth motion, sending the man clamouring to the ground.

"You shouldn't have done that." Josephine said as he returned to them. It had hurt, true, but they were only just words. He needn't have taken that risk for her, not to mention whatever pain he had inflicted on that young man.

"Normally I would agree with you." He nodded. "But no one talks that way about you, especially not here. You're a beautiful, wonderful woman, and I'm not going to allow people to talk like that."

"Oooh." Yvette cooed. "He's good."

"People will always talk like that." Josephine shook her head sadly. He meant well, she knew, but he was from a different world than her. "What matters is us, not them. Whatever they say won't change anything about us."

"Point?" He nodded. "Taken. Still, I think the Orlesian army could use some grounding regardless."

"Oi!" A voice called from behind him just as he reached them once more, and he turned around again. Now a dozen men in similar uniforms were standing behind him, looking over the form of their unconscious comrade. "He knocked out Mills!"

"Get him lads! Teach him how we do it in Orlais!"

"Josie?" Cantis said, and she looked to him. "Don't watch."

He sighed and moved away once more, readying himself. Josephine very deliberately looked away, focusing herself on Yvette, silently cursing having not stopped Cantis the first time. He truly was sweet, and meant well, protecting her like that, especially since he knew how much it hurt, but so misguided.

Cantis smiled as their fight began. The Orlesian Royal Army had a reputation of fear, for being vicious and highly trained, but these weren't soldiers, they were pampered pups given a life of luxury and given the chance to think they were kings of the world. Orlais thought that it's armies could lax itself on training and discipline because they had the technological advantage over most everyone else. Nothing in the world could top intensive training and experience, to say nothing of ferocity and determination.

He could see fear in their eyes as the battle began and didn't do perfectly according to what they could have hoped. The chaos of combat scared them to the core, but for him it was a comfortable, familiar rhythm. He even laughed when one managed to gain an advantage, smashing a bottle across his face, which he barely felt. The man faltered when he saw the person he had struck laugh, and then was promptly taken to the floor moments later. So much higher was his advantage that he could take precautions, ensuring that any injuries he inflicted wouldn't be permanent on these men. That they might learn a lesson without remaining crippled or scarred.

"To hell with you, and your Inquisition!" The last man standing besides Cantis shouted, and drew a knife from his jacket, brandishing it at him. He swung at Cantis, who ducked right under it and knocked him around, ripping the blade from his hand.

"What is going on up here?" A voice called, and Cantis turned. It was Gaspard, the Orlesian general and the one planning a military coup to steal power from Empress Celene.

"Ser!" The soldier who had drawn the knife, the only one still standing of his group, stood at attention. "Just… a bit of fun, ser."

"I weep for the army who trains it's soldiers to consider attacking an innocent woman _fun_." Cantis smiled sarcastically. "Your men here attacked me and my ambassador."

"I don't pay you louts to _have fun_." Gaspard chastised, and the man nodded, more standing in a haze, trying to stand at attention as well. "You're here to guard the palace, and here I find you unconscious and drunk. Go home, you're all relieved of your duty." He turned to Cantis. "You, come with me."

Cantis held up a hand for a moment, going over to apologize to Josephine. Looking over, he saw Leliana approaching, and knew she would be plenty safe while Cantis went off to go talk.

"Oh, yes." Cantis said, turning to the soldier who had held the knife. He threw it as hard as he could, passing narrowly by the man's ear, and into the wall behind him. "There's your knife back."

"You know, I don't take kindly to people defeating and humiliating my best men." Gaspard said as they walked along.

"Your men humiliated themselves." Cantis shrugged it off. "Their actions were dishonourable, and their fighting skills subpar. I could have taken them in a fight before I could walk, and knew better manners even earlier. Perhaps if you trained your men to be more than coddled children, your civil war would already be over."

Gaspard entered into his office and sat down at his desk, leaving Cantis standing on the opposite side. "I should kill you and your Inquisition for that remark, you insolent man." He sighed and relaxed back into his chair. "But you have a point. Listen, I need your help in the War Council."

"I'm not here to help you." Cantis folded his arms. He knew he needed to be more like Josephine when dealing with these people, but his men had already insulted Josephine and attempted to kill him, not to mention how Gaspard had just barely threatened him.

"Perhaps not." He shrugged. "But even so. I would ask that you listen to what I have to say." Cantis nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Look, I know why you're here. Someone wants Celene dead, and you're here to stop them. The enemy of your enemy, no?" Cantis nodded again. "Normally, I might welcome the chance to kill Celene, considering what she's done to this country. But as it is, if she dies then I'm one of the two people it would get pinned on, and that simply can't happen. So let me help you." He learned forward, grabbing a bottle of wine and pouring himself a single glass. "There's only one person who I can think of who would want Celene dead, who would collaborate with your enemies. Briala. Former lover of the Empress, spymaster of Orlais as it were. She's been trying to get Celene out of power for years now, and she'll be where you start."

Cantis considered a moment, thinking, and then nodded slowly. "I'll find her." He confirmed. "It's one of our only leads at the moment, and one I'll be sure to follow up on." Then he put his hands on the desk and leaned over, menacing over the general. "But me be very, very clear: if I ever once hear you threaten me or the Inquisition again, I will not hesitate to cut your head off myself. Am I clear?" Gaspard bit his lip, cowering back a little at the intimidating presence of the Inquisitor, and nodded emphatically. Cantis was typically a very reasonable man, but could also be a terrifying and ruthless one as well. "Good." He grabbed the as of yet untouched glass of wine Gaspard had set aside for himself, and drank the whole thing before laying it back on the table. "Then we are done."

Then he turned and stormed out.


	23. Opportunism

_Author's Note: Yeah, sorry these two chapters are kinda boring in all honesty. I tried to glam it up a little, but the mission itself is pretty slow, especially if you haven't read the books. Sorry! But if you're just in it for the romance stuff, skip to the end for some Josie romance._

_Also, this is the last of the banked chapters I wrote while in the hospital, and I'm now back to my job of back-breaking labour once more. I'll try and get the duel for Josie chapter done by tomorrow, but after that the flow of chapters should slow again._

* * *

 Josephine was looking up at Celene, listening to the speech she was giving. It had been almost two hours now since the party had begun, and now the main event was finally beginning.

"-I am proud to finally announce the beginning of our peace talks." Her voice called down and into the crowd. "Rest assured, Orlais will once more be at peace by the end of the night."

The crowd clapped and cheered as she turned away, moments before screaming. She was being face down by a hooded assassin, who lunged at her. She ducked out of the way, screaming again. Guardsmen were running, but they would be too late.

In a moment, she would be dead.

* * *

 

_An hour earlier..._

"What's going on?" Leliana asked as she approached Josephine, who was now sitting next to Yvette with hands buried in her hands.

"Cantis got into a fight." Josephine took a deep, heavy drawl of breath and looked up at the spymaster. "They… insulted me, and he fought them for it. General Gaspard watched, and now they are… talking."

"Maker's breath." Leliana shook her head. "Haven't been here half of an hour..." She sighed and shrugged a little, smiling at Josephine. "He can handle himself, Josie. We have about an hour until the empress makes her arrival, far as I can tell."

"Good." Josephine nodded. She was stressed out of her mind, considering how ruthless of a reputation Gaspard had, but shed also knew that Cantis could more than handle himself. He had for many years before she had come along, and probably through worse situations.

"Hey there." A voice came, and Leliana realized there was a man behind her, and she realized that the magnet of this place had drawn yet another person looking to hit on the women at the bar. He was an older Orlesian man wearing the uniform of a Chevalier, whose scarred and tired face was topped with a full head of jet-black hair, accented by a well-groomed beard. "Not from around here, pretty thing?"

Leliana sighed, looking over and meeting him dead in the eyes with a serious expression. "No, I'm not, no I don't want you to buy me a drink, and yes, I am married and have a child. Keep looking."

"Ooh, I like the hard to get act." The Chevalier laughed. "And I like a lady who knows what she wants. You looking for a distraction away from the party?"

Leliana smiled at him, playing the sultry bard act she knew so well. "I've got a better idea." She smiled, and he looked over, listening intently. "You come with me after, and you, me and my wife can all go in it together." His eyes lit up as he licked his lips at that. "On one condition." He raised his eyesbrows listening intently. "You see, my wife is the Hero of Ferelden, and her idea of fun is rather… unusual. Anyone who wants to join us in bed has to undergo the Joining."

"The Hero of Ferelden?" He asked, taken aback, and she nodded. "I… should go."

"Very well." Leliana smiled, and waved him off as he ran. "Idiot."

"Does she really?" Josephine asked, having been watching, and Leliana turned ot look at her with a smile in her eyes.

"Why? You interested too?"

"Maker, no!" Josephine half laughed and half shrieked. "I… was just… nevermind."

Leliana shrugged. "I wouldn't know, since we've never done anything of the sort. Inviting other people _or_ drinking Darkspawn blood. But I sincerely doubt she would, no." She looked over, and saw Cantis re-enter the room, still standing tall and strong as ever. "See Josie? There he is, safe and sound." Josephine whipped around to see, and smiled at him when she did, waving him over.

"I was worried about you." Josephine smiled, standing up to kiss him gently. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." He shrugged, smiling at her. "He made sure I knew Orlais wasn't to be fucked with, I made sure he knew the Inquisition wasn't to be fucked with. You know, political stuff. You needn't have worried about me, I can watch out for myself."

"I know." She smiled. "But I still do anyway."

"You're sweet." He smiled. "Listen, I've got a question for you and Leliana." They both looked over at him, listening intently. "Gaspard gave me the name of someone to look into that he thinks might be connected to the assassin's. I'm sure he has his own agenda, but I want to check out the information with you two. What do you know of a woman named Briala?"

"An elven servant woman, lover of the empress a while back." Josephine answered. "She's here thanks to Celene hoping to gain an alliance and the trust of the various elves throughout Orlais."

"She runs a secret underground organization." Leliana spoke up. "She's been causing supply problems on both sides of the war, and there are plenty of unexplained assassinations and poisonings of provisions that have been pinned on her."

"Mmm, that's what I had thought." He nodded thoughtfully. "Any reason she might assassinate the empress?"

"Any number of reasons." Leliana shrugged. "Power, influence, followers… she's here on goodwill, but I wouldn't put anything of the sort past her. I would expect more of Blackmail or something of the sort from her, but I wouldn't doubt her to plan an assassination."

"I see." Cantis nodded once more. "That's all I've got so far is a name, and it comes from a biased place. But, better than nothing." He leaned against the wall with them. "Anything happen while I was gone? Those soldiers didn't try to get you again, did they?"

"No," Josephine shook her head. "But a Chevalier tried to hit on Leliana. She did a great job fighting him off, though."

"Oh?" He turned, smiling at her. "Chevalier, hmm? That's high praise. Was he good looking at least?"

"Not really." She shook her head, smiling. "A pretty plain man. Dark hair, well-groomed beard, wide eyes, pale skin. You know."

"Wait." Cantis sat forward a little, turning his head to her. That sounded oddly familiar. "Did he have kind of a rugged face? Scars here and here?" He pointed, and she nodded. "Shit. Where did he go?"

"That way." She pointed in turn. "Why? Who was it?"

"One of my Red Templar fellows." Cantis explained, sitting up. "Chevalier Louis Évreux, matches the description perfectly. He has all of the connections and power to get close to the empress, and the balls to do it too. He's our assassin, I'm sure about it."

"I told him who I was, too." Leliana put her head in her palm. "Or, at least told him who Mara was, and I'm sure that's all he needed to know." She sighed angrily at herself. "I would check the Grand Library, it's the only thing in that direction of any note."

"Shit." Cantis swore, biting his lip as he thought. "Right. I'll get on head that way immediately." He put a hand on Josephine's shoulder. "Save me a dance?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Now hurry. I promise I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

 Cantis found it odd how deserted this place was, compared to the hundreds of people filling the Winter Palace. The Grand Library lived up to it's name, being a massive and grandiose hall littered with thousands of books.

A moment later, he stopped, feeling something wrong. Looking up, he barely managed to dive from the way, as two assailants jumped from the alcove above. Drawing a knife, he made short, quick work of them, and confirmed his suspicions: Red Templars. He turned, and saw shadows moving, and gave chase. More and more assassin's came, but he continued on, determined more than ever now.

What he had interrupted was something of a heist. The Chevalier was nowhere to be found, but he soon found himself in the lower levels of the palace, and found what the Red Templars had been looking for: a single, rather small vault hidden away in the lower levels. They desperately wanted something inside, as he could tell from the amount of bodies, and that meant that he wanted to keep it away from them.

As he cut down the last of them, he noticed one of the Red Templars still moving and writhing, and picked him up by the collar.

"Where's The Chevalier?" He asked, meeting the Red eyes of the man with a cold stare. "Louis. Where is he?"

"Like I'll talk to you." The Templar groaned. "Go to hell."

"If you don't," Cantis warned. "I'll hand you over the Empress, and you'll get to see the inside of the famed Orlesian interrogation rooms. Chained up without food or water for weeks, being forced to crush rats between your teeth out of desperations… and trust me, I know what the Lyrium withdrawls are like. You'll be the one who's in hell, my dear friend."

"Okay, okay." The man put his hands up. "He told us to look for a bunch of papers in the vault. Something about a contingency plan, he wasn't really clear. He was headed off for the Royal Suites next, said he was looking for someone before Celene showed up. He said to meet him in the Royal Gardens when we were done here. That's all I know."

"Thank you." Was all Cantis said moments before driving his blade through his chestplate and entering into the now open vault.

There wasn't much inside, truth be told. It had plenty of gold as well as weapons and hunting trophies. Nothing outside of his means, and nothing to waste his time on.

On a single, lone table there was a shrine build around an amulet that he picked up. One half of a lover's amulet, half of a heart that would have a matching pieces of the other half, one for either person. There was a note next to it that read:

_Celene._

_For you, my sun and stars._

_-Briala_

Cantis raised an eyebrow. This was more than likely Celene's vault. If they were former lovers, why had she kept it all this time?

He picked it up, and took a further look around the vault. The Templars hadn't gone to all that trouble for a lover's necklace. All that was left was a single cabinet that he flipped through. Blueprints, invoices, scandals covered up, secret assassinations… useful, but nothing devastating.

Then he found it. A folder marked as "Contingency Plan".

Two papers were inside. An order from Briala to the Orlesian Royal Army to assassinate protest leaders in the Alienage, and a letter from someone marked as "S" to Gaspard confirming the kill of a beloved Orlesian General, dated only two weeks before Gaspard claimed the title.

"Now this is what they were after." Cantis laughed to himself, pocketing the reports. If these got out, the elves of Orlais would riot, and Gaspard would have a military coup on his hands. There was nothing in here he could definitively use to pin something on Celene, but still… they wanted to play their Great Game with him? Then he was going to play.

* * *

 The Royal Suites were equally deserted. Not even the Chevalier was here to be found, which should have been what told him this was a bad idea. Celene had surely already made her appearance, and time was ticking away for him to find Chevalier and put a stop to this.

Cantis was about to turn around and look for the royal gardens, before he realized he could hear screaming. He went running for the source, and soon found himself in another stand off with Red Templars, but this time they were escorting someone: a tall, bronze skinned man with a blindfold over his eyes, the source of the screaming.

They put up a rather good fight, taking precious time, but soon enough the last of them fell and he managed to untie the man, who was gasping and thanking him emphatically, shaking his hand and showering praise onto his saviour.

"T-thank you!" He praised for the fifth time in the minute. "I… thank you. I owe you my life, I do! Tell me your name, my good ser, and I promise I'll make all of this up to you!"

"Cantis Trevelyan." He nodded. "What did those men want with you?"

"I don't know, ser, I honestly don't know." He shook his head. "I assume that they were working for Celene, but I don't know what she wants with me."

"Celene?" Cantis raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't think so. What makes you think that?"

"I don't know based on them, ser." The man shook his head. "My name is Lord Alamilla of Rivain, assigned diplomat to Orlais. Celene captured me several months back, and I've been imprisoned here for months, having been interrogated again and again for secrets of my homeland by the empress herself. I assumed these men worked for her."

Cantis bit his lip, and thought on that. This could be just what he was looking for. "Would you be willing to speak out against the empress, testify to what happened here?"

"Of course I would." The ambassador nodded.

"Good." Cantis nodded emphatically. "Look, go downstairs and look for anyone wearing this symbol." He pointed to the gold Inquisition on his back, and the man nodded. "Tell them the Inquisitor sent you and they're to keep you safe. They'll take care of you, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded. "Thank you again ser. I'll repay you, I promise."

Cantis smiled and began towards the gardens. He didn't know why the Red Templars had been after that man, but now he had just what he needed.

Celene would listen to him, or she would have an invasion from Rivain on her hands.

* * *

 Cantis stepped into the gardens, listening intently. It was utterly quiet, only able to hear his own breath. That's how he knew something was wrong.

He ducked just in time to avoid a deadly barrage of crossbow bolts aimed at his head, rolling out of the way and behind a stone brick pillar, drawing the knife hidden in his coat.

"So our cabbage farmer returns!" A voice called, and Cantis immediately recognized it. "Not satisfied with just killing your own husband, hmm? Had to come for the rest of us?"

"Liam didn't give me a choice, Chevalier!" Cantis shouted, looking for a way to reach the platform the Red Templars were standing on. "Neither are you!"

"You should have seen Samson after Tyrant died." Louis shook his head, looking to ensure his men were ready to fire again. "He cried for a week. You killed his best friend, you know. He'll cheer when I bring him your head, and the Empress'." He laughed. "Not to mention that fat cow of an Antivan you keep around."

Cantis gritted his teeth, and charged. The line of crossbowmen fired, but he rolled right out of their way and into their ranks. He only had a knife, but still cut down templar after templar in a blurring motion, moving from one man to the next.

That was until he reached Chevalier that had faced any serious opposition, who was wielding a rapier in one hand. Blade clashed on shining blade, flashing steel clanging into one another. The Chevalier was highly trained, but couldn't make up for Cantis' skill.

Cantis lunged, but Louis moved in a lightning fast movement and knocked his blade to the side, bringing his own through Cantis' chest, who fell back and against the wall, gasping as he was now suddenly short for breath.

"I'm amazed you gave up this power." The Chevalier taunted. He should have done something more, but it was his way to laugh as he won. The way it was for most all Chevaliers, really. "And for what, I wonder? The dream that you could fix this old, decaying world? Do you even know what playing the hero means?"

"I'm no hero." Cantis shook his head, trying to buy time as he quickly patched up the wound with bandages hidden in his sleeve, making it look like he was only clutching at it. "I'm a bad man, I know. For what I've done, there's no chance at redemption. But at least I'm making na effort to make this world better." He grimced, finishing at it. Mara would have to look at it later with her healing, but it was fine for the moment. "If anyone knows what it means to be a hero, it's sure as hell not you."

"You're sure are one to judge, hmm?" The Chevalier smiled. "Right. When you see Liam in hell, tell him I said he was a terrible Templar."

He brought his blade up to strike, but was stopped by an iron grip on his wrist. Fury flared in Cantis' eyes as he absolutely shattered the bones and veins of his hand moments before driving his knife through the Chevalier's heart.

"Tell him yourself." Cantis smiled. "That way he can kill you again."

Louis fell against the wall, dropping his sword, and began gasping for breath as he began to bleed his last. Cantis nodded, satisfied with that ending for such an awful man, but then froze, rooted in place before turning back to face him.

"If you're here to assassinate the empress," He asked, biting his lip. "Why are you out here? This is about as far from her as you could get." Louis smiled at him, and Cantis' heart fell as a horrifying realization came upon him. "You're not the assassin, are you? Samson just sent you here to throw me. You knew I would just to the conclusion that you were the assassin, didn't you?"

The Chevalier smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Samson was… right. I… do… make a good… distraction."

"You two timing bastard!" Cantis shouted, picking up the Chevalier by the collar. "May there be a hell for you! A bleak, unending tarturus where you suffer for fucking ever!" At that he threw the Chevalier over the wall in a fit of rage, sending him to meet his watery death in the lake below.

Looking around frantically, Cantis saw construction equipment. He scaled up it and onto the roof of the Winter Palace. Taking a deep breath, he went sprinting across it, running as fast as his feet would carry him.

Hopefully he wasn't too late.

* * *

 Josephine was looking up at Celene, listening to the speech she was giving. It had been almost two hours now since the party had begun, and now the main event was finally beginning.

"-I am proud to finally announce the beginning of our peace talks." Her voice called down and into the crowd. "Rest assured, Orlais will once more be at peace by the end of the night."

The crowd clapped and cheered as she turned away, moments before screaming. She was being face down by a hooded assassin, who lunged at her. She ducked out of the way, screaming again. Guardsmen were running, but they would be too late.

In a moment, she would be dead.

A loud crash filled the room, and the assassin paused a moment, looking up to it's origin. A figure came flying from the skylights, and crashed into her, taking her away from empress. Cantis brought his blade down to bear, and saved the empress in a single motion.

"Maker's breath." Celene gasped. "I… she..." She cleared her throat, standing up and straightening her gown. "Thank you, dear Inquisitor. It seems you've saved my life."

Cantis smiled, wiping away the blood and clapping her on the shoulder. "Remember that." He nodded. "And on that note, I'm here for the War Council."

* * *

 

"May I speak?" Cantis spoke up after having sat through an hour of their arguing and yelling over the ' _Peace talks_ ' that didn't seem to be going much of anywhere. Gaspard, who was currently standing, having been yelling at Briala and her agenda, nodding at him and sat down, allowing him to stand up.

"I've had enough." Cantis' voice was oddly calm. What he was about to do was insane, utterly mad, but the odds had been stacked against him this entire time and yet still he stood. "This is, you are, all stupid." His voice hissed, and they all looked to him in shock. No one had ever been so bold, at least no one living. "You place yourself ahead of everything else, too short sighted to see anything beyond your own noses. Your indulgence has cast a shadow over the rest of the world, your devotion to your own appetites of power having burned and slaughtered all of the innocents in your wake. The rest of the world is at war, and you could help stop more destruction from unfolding. But instead you sit here, whining and complaining like children."

"How dare yo-" Gaspard began indignantly, but was kept in his chair by a firm, strong hand on his chest.

"I'm not done." Cantis kept his voice level even in spite of the fact that this might be the most dangerous thing he had ever done. He was confident now, more than anything. What he was doing was right, and could do so much good for the world. "I hold in my possession blackmail enough to destroy any, or all, of you." He look around the room, ensuring he kept their gaze. "I have a record of the truth over the death of Gaspard's predecessor, a beloved man that the military would revolt over if they knew the truth." He looked at the General, who looked away. "And that velvet revolution of the Alienage that was violently put down? What do you think the elves of Orlais would do if they found out it was ordered by one of their own?" Brialal looked away. "And the Inquisition has recently come into contact with a diplomat from Rivain who was willing to testify to certain tortures and interrogrations he was put through. Wouldn't know anything about that, would you Celene?"

Now none of them were looking at him, their various crimes revealed, and Cantis sighed. "Look," He said. "I'm not doing this out of malice, or some sort need to be superior to you. The three of you are sitting here because you're all brilliant, intelligent people with a shrewd sense of politics. You could all do so, so much good for the people that you rule over. But instead you sit here and squabble like children. I can't just sit here and watch you any longer. If I have to force you to actually be good at your jobs, at ruling over the people who trust you so much, then I will."

"You've won, Inquisitor." Celene nodded sadly. "I… won't risk another war on my hands." The others nodded in turn.

"So here's what's going to happen." Cantis nodded in turn after a moment of silence. "You three are all going to give up this stupid, petty war of yours, and put aside your differences to work with one another to fix this damn country that you ruined. Additionally, I expect the help of all three of you with the Inquisition to help us stop the Red Templars, keep them from causing another apocalypse and uprooting all of our progress. Objections?" He looked around, and they all shook their heads. "Good. My ambassador will have the paperwork on your desks within the week. I hope, for all of our sakes, that you sign it." He began to walk out before remembering something, turning back around. "Oh yes, and Briala?" She looked up at him. "One of the assassins stole this from Celene's vault. I believe it belongs to you."

He tossed the necklace to her, and she caught it midair, looking at it with wide, awed eyes as she realized what it was. "This… is." She nodded. "But, I… why did you keep this?" She asked, looking to Celene.

"It seems you two have something to talk about." Cantis nodded, and then left, storming out and onto a balcony for some fresh air. Josephine saw him through the crowds and followed him out.

"Caro Mio?" She called when she found him resting against a railing, looking out over the open ocean on the balcony. Canits took a deep, refreshing breath of the salt on the maritime air, and then turned to see her leaning on the railing next to him, smiling uncertainly at him. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Cantis nodded slowly. It was over, but he was _exhausted_ now, weariness seeping down from his skin and down into his bones now. Right now he just wanted to go home and sleep for a week. "I have… _convinced_ the three of them to put away their differences and work with the Inquisition to ensure a future for Orlais. It wasn't easy, or pretty, but it's done, and we'll all be better for it. Would you mind drawing up a treatise for the three of them to sign? I don't relish them turning back to their stupid war again."

"Of course not." Josephine smiled. "That is… incredible. _You_ are incredible."

"You're sweet." Cantis smiled, hanging his head. He was proud, true, but feeling sick and tired, not to mention his injuries still aching under his coat. There was a weight under his eyes that only came about when he got well and truly exhausted.

Josephine bit her lip, looking over to him. He looked so… almost pathetic. In the War Council he had projected a powerful, intimidating presence that demanded they acknowledge him. But now, with her, he could let his guard down and be vulnerable, be human. She felt so useless, just staring at him when he was like this.

"Can I..." She asked after a moment, wracking her brain to think of what she could saw to make it all better. "Can I get you anything? A drink, perhaps?"

Cantis looked up at her, thinking a moment. All he wanted was to go home, to where the world made sense out of their politics. But, here, looking at her in the shining moonlight, with the music of the orchestra still playing in the background, an old and romantic part of him awoke. He smiled and offered a hand out to her.

"I believe you promised to save a dance for me, Lady Montilyet?" He smiled, and she giggled, accepting it to be taken in his arms for a dance.

"For you, my lord? Of course."


	24. Infamare

_Author's Note: Here we are, back to the regular quality of chapters now that we're past Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. Again, chapters will likely slow now that I'm back to working on the farm again, so hope you enjoy this one. :)  
_

* * *

 Kirkwall was a place of painful memories. It hurt to walk down these streets, going about business as normal, when so much evil had happened, so much innocent blood spilled upon the streets. Once with the Qunari invasion, and again at the mage rebellion.

But she still had a job to do, so Aveline took a deep breath and bared with it.

She hated being sent on these jobs. There was so many worse crimes being committed, thieves and murderers. But this was the Alienage, and so they sent her to improve human-elf relations.

Apparently, now someone was squatting in Merrill's old house, or at least the first one before she had moved in with Hawke in their manor. She had done her best to keep people from vandalizing her old friend's homes, Hawke's manor was still mostly in the same condition as when they had left it.

She knocked at the door and, when receiving no answer, let herself in.

She gasped in shock as she stepped into the shack.

The person squatting in Merrill's house was Merrill. She was laying on the floor, her back against the mirror, with bandages all across her arms. She looked _awful_ , pale and almost bloodless, crying as she curled up against the reflectionless surface of the mirror.

"Merrill?" Aveline asked, moving her hand from the hilt of her blade and moving over to the elf laying on the floor. "What… what are you doing?"

Merrill looked up at her through her fingers, her eyes red and pink from tears. "Aveline, I..." She stammered, her voice broken and hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard someone was living in your home." She knelt beside the tiny elf. "I didn't expect it would be you. Why are you here? Where's Hawke?"

Merrill bit her lip, trying not to cry and further as she explained the story, but couldn't stop herself as she reached the end, and soon found her head on Aveline's shoulder, sobbing her heart out.

"-So Hawke's still in there, trapped in the Fade." She finished, unable to tear herself away from where she had buried herself into Aveline's shoulder. "I… I came here, to finish the Eluvian. I thought, maybe, it could help me enter the Fade. But, I..." She gestured behind herself to the now smooth but still opaque surface. "I've spent the last… gods, I don't remember how long I've been here. I've fixed it, Aveline. It's done and finished. But… it still doesn't work!"

"I… I don't know what to say." Aveline said slowly. She didn't approve of the mirror, it was true, but she could see just how much this meant to Merrill. And, truth be told, she couldn't live with the loss of Hawke either, not after everything else she had lost. "What about the Inquisition? They helped you before, and I say they owe you. If anyone could find out anything about the mirror..."

"It might be them." Merrill's eyes lit up in realization. "Aveline, that's brilliant! I…" She threw her arms around the guard-captain. "I should go right away." She turned to the mirror and her expression fell a little. "Oh. But how do I move it?"

* * *

 Josephine could tell Cantis was home from the cheering in the main hall, could hear him talking and laughing through the walls. Normally this was a joyous occasion. He would come back from whatever mission he had found himself on, stop by to see her on his way back to the war room, and then make time later in his day for her to make up for his absence. But this wasn't a happy day, and their reunion wasn't to be joyful.

She stood up, her knees shaking as she did, heart pounding in her chest and her chest knotting hard. Sure enough, in he came, smiling as he saw her.

"Hey Josie." Cantis smiled, loving the wonderful sight of her after a long day at war. "How's my favourite Antivan?" He took her in his arms and went for a kiss, but she pushed him away, on the verge of tears. "Josie? What's wrong?"

"I… I..." She stammered, slipping out of his arms and meeting his eyes. "I've just received the most terrible news." Her voice was barely more than a whisper, that was all she could keep it as lest she break down crying once more. "I've been… engaged."

"Wait, what?" Cantis stepped back, raising an eyebrow. That… didn't make any sense. To who? Him? She wasn't… seeing anyone else, was she? Who would have offered her marriage? And why would she have accepted? "I… don't understand. Start from the beginning."

Josephine let out an aggravated, angry sigh, looking away from him as she thought of the best way to phrase this, especially in a way that wouldn't hurt him. "For the past year, my parents have been searching for a… match for me. They hadn't any idea we had become… so close."

"They didn't?" He asked in surprise. He would have thought everyone in the world would have heard it by now. Granted, rumour had given him dozens of suitors the moment he had taken his title, but… still. They had been seen dancing together at the fanciest party in the world. "But… your sister knew. She was there with us, and knew even before that."

"They..." Josephine's face lit up in the realization, looking at him indignantly. "She did, didn't she?! And they still did this to me!" She huffed, biting her lip. "I can't believe this. They knew. They had to."

"So… they married you off without letting you know?" Cantis asked after a moment of awkward silence. "Without asking you?" How awful. His parents had cast him out of their family for marrying Liam, but at least they had never tried to wed him against his will. That was the sort of thing Dorian's father had done, not something he had expected from Josephine's.

Josephine nodded sadly. "Yes. They just sent me the confirmation. I'm to be married to Lord Adorno Ortranto of Antiva this summer."

"So… what?" Cantis whispered, feeling his heart ache as the full implication came to realization. "Does that mean… Josie, are you leaving me?" He wasn't sure he could take that too. Having killed his last family, his chance at having a new loved one was just going to walk out on him now that she had found someone better?

Had she found someone better? If her parents had found someone better than him… at the end of the day what was he other than a murderer? Where was his future? Maybe… just maybe…

"No, no." Josephine pleaded, her own heart hurting. She couldn't stand that either. "It's just… I must break this off in a way that doesn't earn us enemies. This will take some time, caro. I… hope you understand."

"Well, wait." He sighed, wringing his hands. He was going to hate himself for this. "Who… who is this guy? Do you like him? Is he nice?"

"Why?" She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head and sighing. "I… don't know. I haven't met him since he tried to court me during out school days. He… I suppose he seems more than nice enough, but… I don't know. Why?"

"It's… it's just..." Cantis signed, not daring to meet her eyes. "My… Josie, I'm… not a good person. Do… do we really have a future together? What… if I die? What if… what if you end up like Liam?"

"How can you say that?" Josephine cried, looking at him in shock. How could he say such things, about himself? Of course they had a future together. He was wonderful, funny, intelligent… and the noblest man she had ever met. "Cantis, I… please don't say such things. I… just give me a little time to sort this out, and then we can go back to the way things were. I promise."

"Look," He smiled sadly, putting a hand on either of her shoulders. "Just… give it some thought, okay? Meet with him, think about what you want. If you want to keep looking at things with me, then we can talk again. And if not… well, we'll always have that half year we could be together, hm?" He sighed and looked past her to the war room. "I… should go."

Josephine nodded mutely and watched as he left. As soon as he was gone from earshot, she went running as fast as she could to the rookery. There was only one person who could fix this.

She found Leliana playing board games with Grace, who smiled up at her. "Hey, Josie." She smiled, intentionally losing the game. She narrowed her eyes, seeing how distressed Josie looked, then looked to Grace. "Sweetie, why don't you go see if Mommy has lunch ready? I think me and Aunt Josie have something to talk about." Grace nodded and cleared the board before running off. "What's going on? You look awful."

"I need your help." Her voice was hurried and frantic as she leaned onto the table, not even taking the time to sit. "I… my parents betrothed me off to an Antivan lord, and Cantis is going to leave me. I need you to do… something, anything!"

"He's leaving you?" Leliana stood, her mouth agape. "I warned him. I swear to the Maker, I will-"

"No, no." She shook her head, giving an aggravated sigh while she thought of how to say this. "It's… he thinks this man would be a better lover than him. He's encouraging me to meet with this man and give him a chance."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Leliana sat back down, leaning against the back of her chair. "Break off your engagement for you?"

Josephine considered a moment, but shook her head. Leliana would likely poison him or something. "No, I need to do this. I need you to… I don't know, do anything! Talk to Cantis, find something on this Lord to convince him that he's a bad man, anything!"

She looked up to find Josephine's eyes full of complete and utter begging, pleading with her to help fix this. There was love and adoration for her Inquisitor in those eyes, and a desperation not to lose him for fear of ending up alone again. For fear of losing _him_.

"I'll see what I can do." Leliana nodded at last. She had stood in their way once already, this was the least she could do.

* * *

 A few days later, Leliana found Cantis in his office, sitting alone and drinking, eight empty wine bottles on the desk as he stared at the ceiling. Seeing her enter into the room he cleared his throat and sat up, straightening his jacket.

"Hey." He called, stumbling a little in the words before clearing his throat again, as if trying to remember how to speak. "Wasn't expecting you, Leli. You need something?" He chuckled and gestured to the wine on the desk. "Care to join me?"

Leliana narrowed her eyes, walking up to the desk and looking out the window. "I just woke up." That wasn't quite true, she had been up all night getting this done, but still… she had just woken up Grace and Mara, skipping having breakfast with them to come talk to him.

"Yeah, but I haven't slept in days." He shrugged. "Then what did you need?"

"You're torn up about Josephine." She observed as she sat opposite him.

"Yeah." Cantis nodded sadly. "I… shouldn't be like this, honestly. She's sure to be happier now, and that's something I should be happy over. It's… just… well… you know, everything I've ever loved is either dead or left me. I thought maybe, just maybe, it would be different this time." He shook his head self-depreciatingly. "Stupid, stupid thought. Shouldn't have hoped."

"Don't say that." Leliana insisted, sitting closer with her elbows on the table. "You're a lovely man. You know, Josephine misses you as much as you miss her. Why don't you go just talk to her?"

Cantis sighed and leaned in to meet her. "Leliana, this is about more than whoever the hell she's getting married to. I mean, if he's some high class lord that her parents like, then he's already a better choice than me, but that's not the real reason I'm doing this." Leliana looked at him, waiting on an answer, and he sighed again. "Look, Leliana. I'm scared. The things we've done, everything that's happened… it's all just the most violent rat race in the world. And I'm starting to… I've always… enjoyed it." He looked away even as she stared at him mutely. "I was one of them, the people we fight. A terminal psychotic. And what's the difference now? I've got a big title that says I'm one of the good guys. And I'm not. Maybe you people forget what I've done, but I haven't, and I'm not about to forgive myself for any of it." He shook his head sadly. "Josephine deserves better than me. Even if it is in some arranged marriage to someone she barely remembers."

"Inquisitor… Cantis..." Leliana stared at him, not taking her eyes away even as he was turned away in shame. "I haven't forgotten, and neither has anyone else. Trust me, you killed Justinia, my best friend. If anyone should still be mad at you, it's me." She leaned forward, laying a gentle hand on his arm, causing him to look back at her. "But I'm not. Because without you, we would all be dead. Because you've saved and protected us all again and again. Because you've worked tirelessly to make up for what you have done, and it saved us all."

"If I do one good thing, and one bad thing," Cantis said horsely. "I'm not just at point zero again. I've just done one good thing and one bad thing. There's no such thing as redemption. My hope for a new life was a mistake."

"I don't believe that." Leliana shook her head. "Whoever you are, whatever you've done… you are loved. Unconditionally." She pulled a folder of papers from her jacket. "Josephine cares about you deeply. But even if you don't believe that, take a good look at this." She handed it over.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously, giving it a glance over. "What's it say?"

"It's a detailed report on this Lord Ortranto. It seems he has his hands quite dirty." She explained pointing over it to show him where. "It seems the man who is _better than you_ in your words, betrayed and killed one of his best friends and his entire family, helped the Howe family destroy the Couslands during the Blight in exchange for coin, has dealt in Elven slaves, sold Lyrium and Weaponry to both sides of the Mage-Templar war, and, if that wasn't bad enough, sold Red Lyrium to your former brothers in arms." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't honestly think you can do worse than that?" Cantis looked back at her with a knowing look, and she sighed. "Look. Josephine adores you, we both know that. I don't know why, and I know you don't either. You can either let her be married to this… monster and be miserable for the rest of her life. Or, you can get back with he and have the both of you be happy."

"What can we do?" Cantis tried to read the indecipherable wall of text of Leliana's report. "I can't just go up to him and tell him to give me back my Josie."

"Of course not." Leliana shook her head. "But you can fix this. You see, the only way to break off an Antiva betrothal is by a duel. Say the word, and I'll schedule for you to fight him. Josie won't like it, but it's the only way to stop it. Her politics can't do it, I'm afraid. Neither party can break it off except with a duel, it's an ancient and outdated part of the law, but it's there."

Cantis looked down at his rugged, scarred hands, still a garish red from all the cuts they had suffered. He couldn't have imaged someone to love them, and yet Josephine still held them tight when they kissed and danced.

He loved her. That was something he couldn't ignore any longer. It hurt, and pained him greatly, but it was true. He still loved Liam, and Abigail, but it seemed he needn't stop loving them to move on to someone new to fill his heart. From where he was standing, he was an unlovable mess. But what right did he have to deny that to Josephine on that principle alone? If she loved him, he shouldn't cut things off because he couldn't see why.

And even if he was unlovable, one thing was painfully clear of what he had to do.

"Leliana? Schedule it."

* * *

 Josephine found herself in the rookery, looking around for Leliana. She normally never left the Rookery, always staying here for her agents, but today she hadn't been able to find her anywhere.

"Aunt Josie!" She heard an excitable little voice call, and smiled when she saw Grace come running up to give her a hug. "Guess what? I went with mommy to the store, and even when there was a crowd of so many people, I didn't get scared!"

"Very good!" Josephine smiled, cooing the praise gently as she ruffled a hand through Grace's hair. "You're growing up to be quite the fine young lady." Grace smiled as wide as she could, proud of herself. "Where's your mother?"

"Mommy's cooking breakfast downstairs. She said that she was going to make bacon and eggs for me being so brave, if you want to come with us. Mama had to leave, but said she'd try to be back before lunchtime."

"She left?" Josephine asked. Leliana never left Skyhold, save for that assault on Adamant.. Her agents were always coming in and out, she couldn't leave lest something happen that only she could deal with. "Did she say where to?"

Grace shook her head. "No. She got some papers that she left on her desk, if you want to look."

Sure enough, there was two sets of papers on the desk. She began to flip through them, even though she knew it was rude. This was so unusual, and something told her that something was wrong.

She gasped in shock.

Leliana and Cantis had challenged Lord Ortranto to a duel. How… how stupid, insolent, idiotic… dangerous. She looked through it in horror. It was scheduled for this morning, Cantis would fight the man in a single duel to break off her engagement. Horrific images filled her mind of him being skewered on a sword end for her hand. Granted, he was an expert swordsman, but they would be duelling in a traditional fashion, something he had no experience in.

She dropped the note in a shocked horror as the awful thought played again and again in her head. She had to stop this, before he got himself killed.

* * *

 Morning had dawned cold and cloudy, a misty drizzle blanketing over Val Royeaux. A crowd had gathered throughout the entire town square, and she could hear steel clashing on steel as she ran to the crowds, a sound that made her heart sink in her chest. She was too late.

"Stop!" She cried, desperately running as fast as her feet would carry her "Stop!"

The noise did stop as she shouted, but the crowd began to cheer and shout, and it nearly broke her then and there. It was over. She was much, much too late.

Josephine pushed her way through the crowd, and what she found shocked her.

On the ground lay the battered form of Lord Ortranto, his rapier clattered on the ground. Crimson sin had filled the square, and the ground beneath their boots.

More than that, Cantis still stood, or rather knelled. He had suffered greatly, and was on his knees, gasping for air as his lungs failed. Lord Ortranto's blade had struck him again and again, and now he was dying slowly even after his victory. He was covered in blood, and was clutching painfully at his chest where darkness seeped onto the hand that held the wound, but he was alive, at least for the moment.

"Amore!" She cried out in shock, unable to stop the words from slipping through her lips. He looked over at her and his eyes widened, his face looking old and fragile.

"Josephine?" He rasped, breathing in his own blood as he looked over to her. Leliana had rushed to his side after the battle had ended, and was tending to his wounds even as the world turned dark for him. "What… are… doing… 'ere?" It hurt so much to speak, but it hurt to breathe, to think, to exist.

"Looking for you, you stupid, stupid man." Josephine began to cry, kneeling by his side and helping Leliana keep him breathing. "Why? Why do this? Why get yourself into all this… this trouble, this danger?"

Cantis smiled a little in spite of himself, the world turning dark. "Ain't no trouble, Josie. Ain't no trouble." The words were far away now, distant as if from a world away. He smiled a bloody smile up at her, eyes sparkling a little as he struggled to speak. "...I... I..."

He couldn't manage to say it. Darkness took him, and he remembered nothing more.


	25. Healing

Josephine paced back and forth in a mixture of utter dread and something of an anger. She couldn't believe how stupid the two of them had been, duelling her fiancé to protect her. Surely they both knew that she could take care of herself, that she wasn't a child that needed them to stand between her and the world. But more than that, she was scared. They had rushed him to the nearest healer in the city, who had told them he had been poisoned by one of the deadliest toxins in the known world, and hadn't known what to do. Lord Ortranto had cheated, poisoning his blade to ensure Cantis' death.

Now they were at Skyhold, waiting anxiously. Mara was the best healer in Southern Thedas, or at least among their ranks. She now had to entrust Cantis' life to the Warden. Leliana had tried again and again to reassure her as to Mara's skill in healing magic, insisting that she had cured everything from the Quiet Death, to the Taint itself. But still she worried, so much so that she couldn't even find the amount of emotion to be angry at Leliana for having perverted her request to this level.

"Josie..." Leliana tried again, apology and regret in her tone. She hadn't known it would end like this, truly. Cantis was a master swordsman. How was she supposed to know he would be injured to this level? Not to mention she hadn't given the possibility of poison a thought. This was all her fault. She should have duelled the man herself, or at least done something in the fight before it ended up like this...

"Leliana?" Josephine hissed, turning to her, the gaze in her eyes serious enough to stare down a dragon. "Please. Shut up." Leliana nodded, closing her mouth as Josephine resumed her terrified pacing.

Finally, Mara came from the other room several minutes later, looking utterly exhausted, her skin pale and her hair tinted grey from the amount of magic she had expended saving his life. "How is he?" Josephine asked, speaking quickly as her mind flooded with possibilities of what might be the answer. "Is he okay? Is he alive? Please tell me good news."

Mara sighed in exhaustion, collapsing in a chair adjacent to them. "He's stable, awake and responsive. He'll have a lot of trouble moving for a few hours, and be in a lot of pain a week or so, especially once the salve I gave him wears off." She nodded slowly, relaxing back into the chair and closing her eyes. "Leliana, find wherever the hell that Antivan got that poison, and destroy every last drop of it. I never want to treat that nightmare ever again." Leliana nodded, and Josephine started for his bedside. "Josephine?" Mara spoke up, and she turned. "You're rightfully mad. But please, I nearly killed myself saving his life. Do try not to kill him." Josephine nodded grimly, and went inside.

Cantis was heavily bandaged across his entire body, save for his face which was frozen in an expression of pain and sadness. "Hey… Josie." He groaned, sitting up a little at the cost of severe pain. His speech was slurred and pained. "How's… things?"

"Don't give me that." She sat next to him, folding her arms. "Before anything else, I have to know. Why? Why do something so rash, so irresponsible, so… so stupid? Everything we've built, everything that we've suffered for… why risk it all? The Inquisition needs you! _I_ need you. You almost died! Why?"

"Because I love you!"

Josephine was taken aback, moving away as she tried to process the words and involuntary tears gathered at the edges of her eyes as the meaning took hold. He… did? Of course he did. After everything he had said and done for her, all it took was to hear it once for her to realize it as an irrefutable and obvious truth. After all those late nights that turn into early mornings of simply talking to one another, of laughing and smiling, of the highs and lows they had spent with one another. The way his eyes sparkled when he looked to her, to the foolish smiles they shared. She was struck mute by the majesty of the revelation, and there now stood a yearning deep in her soul that begged, demanded to hear the love in his voice, to see the happiness in his eyes, to feel him look at her like there was no one and nothing else in the world.

"You… you do?"

"Yes, Josephine." He murmured warmly, making her swoon, her heart fluttering inside of her. "I love you so much. I-I… yo-you mean… everything to me." It was rare to hear him stammer, at least around most people where he tried to keep his guard up. He smiled weakly, eyes wet, and she was certain her heart would stop at any moment. For a moment, one impossible moment, the armour that he wore around this heart, the emotion shell that he kept so strong to stop himself from hurting those around him was gone. For her. "You are the only beautiful thing in my life, the only thing I have to live for, Josephine. You, and nothing else. You bring me comfort, and you bring me hope. All I want is to close my eyes and melt away in your arms. That's why. Because… because I couldn't lose you too. Everything I love has died or left me, and I wasn't going to just let that happen to you too. I… I love you so much."

His words warmed her heart completely, bringing the most ridiculous smile to her face as she realized how true it was, how foolish she was to have not realized it sooner. The things he did, he did because he loved her. Why else would he have done this? Tears of absolute joy streamed down her face, ruining her makeup, but she couldn't find a reason to care. He loved her. _He_ loved her. He loved _her_. And there was only one possible response to that.

"I love you too." Josephine whispered, her eyes crinkling upwards in happiness, in joy, in bliss. Without thinking to the implications, she threw herself into his arms on the bed, and their lips met. It was awkward, kissing him laying in this medical bed, but they made it work. He moved his arms around her at great pain, and the whole of the world faded away into obscurity. All that's left was them as a single being, lips meeting for a glorious, amazing moment. He tasted of sea and oak, strong enough to hold her in his arms, to keep her from ever falling to the world, but gentle enough that it was romantic and loving. She held him tightly, forgetting his pain, feeling warm, happy and safe. So safe.

His kiss was fierce, passionate, almost possessive, but somehow sweet and tender at the same time. Never in Josephine's wildest dreams did she ever imagine she could be so lucky.

She pulled back for a moment, gasping for air. Cantis didn't say anything, just smiled up at her, his teary eyes shining in the light. Here, in his arms, being so incredibly loved and accepted, Josephine knew what she had to say. Those magical, wondrous two words of Antivan. The ones she had always wanted to say to someone she loved, the ones she had always longed to whisper to the love of her life, but never loved anyone enough to utter.

"Ti amo." She whispered with a heart swelling with love and passion. And with those words, the depth of her affection had been admitted, even if only to herself since he didn't know Antivan. She had admitted that she loved him, deeper and purer than anything Ferelden can convey. That she trusted all of her hopes and dreams in him, that she needed him in her future and that he had left an imprint on her very heart. That she can't imagine her own life without him. "Sei tutto per me, ti amo."

"Josie?" He was still smiling, but his face was now a small, well meaning grimace. "I know it's not terribly romance, but could you move? This… kinda really hurts."

"Oh!" She jumped back, putting a hand over her lips as she climbed back, having forgotten herself. "Of course. I'm so terribly, I just-"

"You're okay." He chuckled. "Just crippling injuries and all." Josephine sat back in the chair next to his bedside, and laid a gentle, loving hand over his. "I… don't know what to do now. Am I supposed to take you out to dinner now? Flowers and badly written poetry?"

Josephine giggled, giving his hand a squeeze. "I think it's a little late for that. We should let your injuries heal, at the very least. But beyond that… I don't know. I've never… never been in a situation like this before."

"You've never been with anyone before?" He asked quietly, and she shook her head. "Took me a long time for me. I was only a few years younger than you when I met Liam, and we never… really had this talk since things with us just kind of… happened." He smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, you probably really don't want to hear about my old husband. I should focus on you. New life, new love and all that."

"It's okay." Josephine smiled back at him, resuming the same silly, happy smile she had before having hurt him. "I can't expect you to forget your old life. You were married for a decade, and had a child. I can't just expect you to forget about that. Just… promise me it won't affect us?"

"Of course not." Cantis squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I love you. I love _you_. It's a different way of love from him, and Abigail, I suppose, given how different you are from them, but no less real. I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't love you." His smiled melted a little, and he quirked his head at her. "I… there's something I have to tell you, if that's alright."

Josephine's smile faded in turn, replaced by a look of concern. That… didn't sound good. But, from his expression, it looked like it mattered a lot to him, so she tried to smile again and nodded. "Of course, Ti Amo. You can tell me anything, anything at all."

Cantis smiled a little, feeling reassured, eyes never leaving hers. "It's… hell, I don't know how to say this. I went my entire marriage without saying this to Liam, never said it to anyone. But… you have a right to know." He took a deep, shuddering breath, and nodded to himself, as if working himself up to say it. "Josie, I… I don't feel attracted, sexually, to… anyone. I've never once in my life wanted to have sex with someone. It… kind of even makes me sick, to think about doing such things with someone." He swallowed hard, giving a small, trembling smile at her. "I… hope you're not mad."

Josephine licked her lips nervously, looking at him curiously. "Of course I'm not." She reassured, squeezing the hand clasped in hers once more. "But… I'm afraid I don't understand. You don't feel attracted to people like that? Does… does that mean you don't like the way I look?" She bit her lips. Maker, but she hoped that wasn't how he meant it. She was conscious enough of how she looked already. That would be… devastating.

"Of course not." He reassured, smiling a little wider at her. "Josie, you're gorgeous, beautiful. It's just… just the sex. I think you're amazing, in every way, but when I look at you, I want is to take you in my arms, to kiss your lips and ensure that nothing bad ever happens to you again, to make your life perfect. I don't… you know, want to pull off your dress and… do anything to you. What I want is romance and love, nothing so… animalistic." His smile left him again, his hand shaking as it was entwined with hers. "Is… is that okay?"

Josephine nodded sweetly, smiling still. "Of course, Ti Amo. I love you. That is unconditional, and irrevocable. Whatever you say, whatever you do, that won't change." She held up his hand, and kissed it gently. "Does this change the way you feel about me?"

"Of course not." Cantis shook his head decisively. "Everything I've done for you, everything I've said, I did without thinking about you like that. I didn't duel this Antivan lord and wind myself up like this for nothing."

"Would it change how you feel about me if I said the same?" She continued, raising an eyebrow in the same way she did whenever she began to win an argument or debate with the other diplomats. He shook his head once more. "I'm attracted that way to both men and women alike. Does that change how you feel about me?" He shook his head again. "Then it doesn't change anything about the way I feel about you, either." She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, feeling his smile that broke out as she did. "I love you, and that's not dependent on anything other than you remaining yourself."

Cantis smiled, eyes watering as he squeezed her hand tightly. "Josie, I… I" He teared, smiling. "I suffered through ten years of marriage, forcing myself to sleep with him, because I was scared, terrified of what he might say. Of being abandoned. I… you are… you are so wonderful, Josie. I… I don't know what to say. Except… except that I love you, so, so very much."

"I love you too." She smiled back, leaning over to kiss his forehead, and then his lips. "Now, get some rest, Ti Amo. I'll bring you some dinner and wine later, assuming you feel up to it?" He smiled and nodded, still having trouble to speak in joy. "It will have to do until we can go to a real dinner together. I love you."

"I love you too, Josie. So much."

* * *

 "I still can't believe that you wound up wearing the dress I told you to get!" Leliana laughed. She, Mara and Morrigan were all sitting in the main hall, laughing and reminiscing of their times from the Blight. "I tried so hard to get you to wear that!"

"It wasn't because of you!" Morrigan folded her arms, but still smiling good naturedly. It was nice, being back with these two. Different as they were, these were some of the only people in the whole world that she knew, and they were… familiar. "It was Kieran's idea."

"Suuure it was." Mara laughed, her eyes sparkling happily at the socialization. It had been so long since they had done something like this. "You just don't want to admit Leliana has fashion sense, do you?"

Morrigan opened her mouth to dispute that, but the doors were thrown open suddenly, rain and thunder crashing outside as a long figure entered from the darkness.

An elf strode in, wearing shining white armour with a massive frame of a mirror on her back.

"Where is he?" Merrill asked. "Where is the Inquisitor?"


	26. Light Carries On

_Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long, and isn't even terribly long. Work's been hard, and at this rate I'll be back in the hospital pretty soon unless I find a new job that doesn't destroy my body this way._

_And sorry for the dip in quality as of late. If I'm being perfectly honest, I can't help but shake the feeling that this story has kind of run it's course, even though the plot's not over. We're definitely past the best parts. So, sorry. But, enjoy anyway._

* * *

 Merrill gasped in awe.

Her plan had worked. She and Varricnow stood in the fade.

Cantis had been well enough to travel with them through the Eluvian and into the crossroads. A place beyond the Fade, an impossibility of magic. She would have been fascinated at any other point, but had a single minded determination to rescue the love of her life. Hawke was here. She had to be. Surely she did. Unless the eluvians were wrong, unless-

No. No. Those thoughts were poisonous. They would lead her to ruin.

She had used a thick, ruggedrag with Hawke's blood to track through the crossroads, a fragment of her trademark crimson house robe after she had been run through with a blade during the Qunari invasion. After finding it,Cantis had ripped them a hole straight to the Fade using his Mark.

"Andraste's balls." Varric cursed under his breath. "It looks just like they said it did. I… never thought I would see this place."

"Come on. Ignore anything of Hawke you might see unless I say so. There's surely Desire Demons here, and they'll know exactly what we want." Merrill motioned and began to walk. They stood in front of a massive, towering fortress that eerily resembled Vinnmark Prison. She used Blood Magic to follow the stain of blood on the rag. She could _feel_ Hawke's life force, strong, domineering and commanding, and followed it close.

A pair of demons approached. Sloth, slithering towards them like hunter snakes. They began to speak, and were cut down in a moment by a wave of magic let loose by Merrill's staff, never slowing her pace. There was nothing to care about, no sympathy to feel for them. Not here, not now.

Hawke was counting on her.

* * *

How are you doing today, my love?"

Cantis awoke to the loving voice ringing in his ears, and looked up with a smile to find Josephine, _his_ Josephine, standing in the doorway with breakfast in hand. The short trip into the Fade and back had exhausted him more than he had expected, even though he had only walked a short distance.

"Fine." It hurt to talk,his voice groggy and distant, as if he hadn't used it in days. "Exhausted."

"I'll bet." She smiled wide, her beautiful, perfect lips shining where the light struck them. "Not many people can go into the Fade like that, let alone still have any strength left after it." She laid it down for him, a lovingly prepared breakfast and tea. "If you feel strong enough to eat. If not, I'm sure the cooks can keep it warm until you do."

"I'll have it now." He smiled, and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, so much Josie. For… everything."

"Of course." Josephine sat down next to him, smiling as he began to eat. "You're only like this because of me, after all."

"I think I'm only here because I'm a poor duellist." Cantis chuckled. The food was burned, and the tea bitter, but she had made it, so it was perfect.

"You're silly." She shook her head, smiling even wider. "And I love you."

"I love you too, Josephine. What do you say we go sit in the gardens later? Have some dinner in the patio, some wine and conversation?"

* * *

 "Good reading?"

Leliana didn't look up from the note, even when she heard and registered the sultry tone in Mara's voice come from behind her. "Leli?" She asked, voice serious now as she sat on the bed beside her. "Everything okay?"

"I don't know." Leliana shook her head slowly, and Mara knew something was wrong. Badly wrong. She looked, and felt… scared, terrified, but… intrigued at the same time. She was shaking, tiny little bumps on her skin, which Mara rubbed comfortingly.

"What is it?" She asked in a soft, honey sweet voice. Something was wrong, and Mara knew that her wife needed this right now. She could feel, smell the atmosphere of tension, of the dread resting deep inside of the love of her life.

Leliana shook her head very slowly, very softly, rereading the note for the thousandth time. Her mouth was dry, her mind racing as she thought through every last possibility, pouring over every last letter and the meaning it could mean for her life.

"I… they're considering me for becoming the next Divine."

"What?" Mara asked as the words registered, cocking her head to look at Leliana's fearful looking expression. "They are?"

Leliana nodded slowly, looking over to lock her eyes with Mara's piercing blue orbs. "Yes. Me and Cassandra. And, in their preliminary votes, I… lead, with three quarters of the votes."

"Leli," A smile broke out across Mara's face, cupping Leliana's cheeks in her palms. "That's wonderful!" How amazing would that be, to have Leliana as the Divine? The single most amazing, kind, sweet young woman in the entire world. Mara had married her for a reason, and to have her in such a position of power, able to help so many people…

"Is it?" Leliana asked, biting her lip as if to cry. "I… can I really be Divine?" She knew that Mara believed in her, believed she could do anything, but… she was suited for helping, being a figure in the shadows. How could she lead the Andrastian world? "What… what if I fail? Do something wrong? I…. would have so much power."

Mara smiled sweetly at her wife. Always the worrier, always anxious and calculating. "Darling," She murmurer, putting a kiss to her forehead. "I believe you could move the sun and stars if you willed it. If you don't want to do this, if you're tired of politics and death, then tell them to go to hell. But if you want to keep helping, continue on what Justinia wanted… then I'll stand there with you."

Leliana looked away, clenching her firsts as she thought desperately. This was so… unexpected, so sudden. She had never thought this in a thousand years. "I… don't know." She shook her head slowly. "Would they even let me? Would I be accepted? No divine has ever been in a relationship before, at least not a public one. Let alone me being married to another woman, a mage, and having a daughter. The Divine is… is supposed to be a lone, stoic figure sitting alone on a throne above the masses."

"Change that, then." Mara shrugged a little. She could see Leliana's reluctance, but she shouldn't worry of what the masses thought of her, of if she could be accepted. But rather if she could make a difference, and if this was what she wanted. "People don't identify with their Divine, don't see them as human. Change it. Don't make yourself some stoic, marble clad figure who is supposed to be better than the common man. Make the Chantry a friendly, more relatable place. Make it a place for families, of any shape and size. Encourage people to have families like ours, to be as happy as us."

Leliana looked up to see Mara's honest, determined face that was smiling at her. "Do you think I could?"

"Of course." Mara kissed her again, gentle and sweet. "My love. Encourage the people of the Chantry to adopt children, to be generous in their daily lives, to find love wherever it might appear. Allow people of different genders to join the Chantry, to permit love to flourish between any couples that it would. You could do so much progressiveness in the world."

Leliana nodded slowly, realizing just how right Mara was. Of how much good the two of them could do, especially for people like them. What if a Dwarf could join the Chantry? Two women in love who publicly celebrated their love? Allowed their priests and cloistered followers to find partners instead of forcibly remaining abstinent?

"Would you come with me?" She asked quietly. "Join me in being Divine? Be the woman behind the throne as it were?"

"Of course." Mara soothed, rubbing her wife's shoulders to alleviate the tension. "I promised you my hand in marriage until the day we died. So long as you'll have me in your life, I will stand by your side. No matter what."

Leliana smiled, and looked over her shoulder to kiss Mara gently.

"Well, now all we can do is hope that I win."

* * *

 "Daisy, are you okay?"

Merrill barely heard Varric speak through the haze of rage and desperation she found herself in. Now they had made their wayVinnmark Prison, or it's eerily similar counterpart in the Fade that had every detail that she could remember. Likely an exact copy. Varric washaving trouble following behind her desperate, almost hysterical search for Hawke. Whatever had brought her here wasn't coincidence. There were Red Templars and demons all over.

Something was wrong.

"Daisy!"

"What?!" She whipped around, shouting, and then saw the fear and hurt in his eyes, making her falter.

"D-daisy..." He sighed, feeling hurt and scared. "Look. You've been acting strange since we showed up."

"Varric." She hissed under her breath. She was scared. Hawke was missing, probably dead. Her wife, the love of her life. If Hawke wasn't here… she would have failed at everything. Lost everything she ever cared about, ever loved.

"Just listen to me, Daisy." "He turned her around, his eyes locked to hers. "It's all going to be okay. But I need you to calm down. You're scaring me, you have since the moment we got back to Skyhold. Whatever happens, Hawke wouldn't have wanted this."

He put a hand on either of her shoulders, and Merrill, seeing the honest sincerity in his eyes, fell to her knees, dropping her staff and clutching to him as she sobbed into his coat. "I'm sorry." She sobbed. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I should have gone with her. I killed her. I love her." She was hysterical now, the façade of uncaring and emotionlessnessthat she had kept for so long, that had kept her from despairing. "I love her more than anything."

"It's okay, Daisy." He whispered, laying his chin on her head and holding her close. "It's okay. Look, we keep going. We follow your magic, okay? And if we don't find her… we move on, we keep living. Just like she would have wanted."

"You would be wise to listen to him." A rough, low voice called, echoing again and again throughout the walls of the fortress. It was as if several different demons were speaking all at once.

The two of them whipped around, and fell into a stunned, horrified silence, dread knotting in their chests.

Standing before them was Corypheus.

"What the hell?" Varric breathed, standing up and slipping his hand upwards towards Bianca. "I thought we killed that asshole."

"So," His voice echoed eerily, stepping towards them, rough and powerful like sandpaper. "The Inquisition comes at last. I had wondered how long it would take your to cross my path."

Merrill's blood ran cold as she picked her staff from the floor. Mythal. Was this what had happened to Hawke? Surely not, it couldn't be. This was an illusion, some sort of demon. Nightmare, or fear. Despair. This couldn't be Corypheus. The real Vinnmark prison was in Kirkwall, nothing more than a pile of rubble and dust. And the real Corypheus was dead, the battle that had finished him having turned the fortress into said rubble.

She clutched her staff, and gritted her teeth, painfully grinding them against one anotheras she readied herself. "Step aside." She commanded. She was a powerful mage, a blood mage that had seen extensive training from both a Keeper and her Champion. The only magic to be respected or feared here was her own. "We're not here for you."

"And what then, pray tell, would you be here for? Corypheus drawled, fixing them with a cold stare that drove shivers down their backs. "I am older than this world, and the only thing that threatens your Inquisition in the slightest. Don't think you can fool me, _rattus_." He made a single gesture, and the two of them fell in a moment, overwhelmed by a wave of overpowering, chaotic magic. Then he strode over, taking Merrill by the neck and choking her.

"Go to your Inquisitor." He hissed. "Tell him to tremble before the exalting might of Corypheus. Tell him that if he and his Inquisition lay down their arms before the Red Templars, that we might stay our blades as a new world rises from the ashes of yours."

"A-ar… ar t-tu na'lin emma mi." Merrill gasped, swearing at him in Elvish. She tried to last out with magic, something, anything, but it was of no use. Something in his magic had silenced her in turn, and she was helpless.

A blur of black came from the shadows behind him, and Corypheus jumped back, shouting in pain and dropping Merrill as a white blade cut through his arm.

"Remember me, you son of a bitch?!" Merrill was dizzied and her vision was blurring, but she would know that voice anywhere.

Hawke. The love of her life.

Corypheus began shouting in a language they couldn't understand, but it didn't matter. Hawke kept slashing at him, batting him away with her blade before creating a massive wall of fire with her magic, keeping him at bay. He hissed like an animal, but it was too late. She picked Merrill and Varric up, tossing the elven woman over her shoulder and Varric by the collar before sprinting as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

"Ma Vhenan!" Merrill gasped, still trying hard to breath. "You… you came for us."

"Merrill." Hawke breathed, running as fast as her feet would carry her. "Wait until we're save." She took a deep breath and nodded, letting Hawke carry the both of them. "Please tell me you have a way out of here."

Merrill nodded again, and gave directions from where they were, and soon they were back at the Crossroads. Hawke managed to get them through to the other side, and then collapsed, utterly exhausted.

Beaten, battered, and bloody, Hawke had returned.

* * *

 Hours later, she awoke laying in what seemed to be her and Merrill's bed from Kirkwall. Large, ungodly soft, and filled with red silk and velvet.

If this was the afterlife, then she had definitely gotten to paradise. Though it looked nothing like the Maker's bosom.

"Ma Vhenan?" Merrill gasped, sitting up from the chair where she had sat opposite her wife, praying hard every moment that Hawke would awaken.

"H-hey." Hawke croaked, smiling up at the wonderful sight of her love. This was better than any paradise, if Merrill were here.

Merrill blinked, ensuring that what she saw was real, staring a moment before her lips curled into a wondrous smile, lighting her whole face with a wonderful happiness, a joy that _moved_. Then she ran forward, jumping down and onto her lover, burying her head into Hawke's neck. "Hawke." She sobbed, her voice breaking as she whispered the word in enraptured awe.

"Hey." Hawke repeated, slowly moving her arms around her wife, holding her. "Merrill?" She whispered worriedly. "W-what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Merrill gave her head a little shake, turning her head to kiss Hawke's neck, a shining trail of wetness running from her eyes. "You're… you're really here." She gasped, crying hard. "You're alive."

Hawke smiled a little, kissing Merrill back. "Of course I am. You didn't think a little demon could take down _me_ , did you?"

"Of course not." Merrill was breathing hard and fast now, crying tears of streaming bliss. "I… just..."

"I know." Hawke nodded, tightening her embrace. "I know, sweetie. It's okay. I'm here. I'm not leaving you. I'll always be here for you."

Merrill wiped her tears, but kept holding close to her Hawke. So many things had to be said, had to be asked, but she couldn't find it in her to ask them. Only to hold Hawke close, and ensure that the world never took her again. Hawke held her back, whispering soothing, comforting words until the shaking turned to shivers, then soon became stillness, and then sleep. Merrill hadn't slept in days, and Hawke could tell just from looking at her. It was a special bond, the kind that only two people as closely intertwined as them could share. Anything wrong was immediately clear, even if not from the outside.

She had to tell Merrill, and the Inquisition many things. But perhaps they could wait until tomorrow.


	27. The Purge

"You had best start from the beginning." Cantis said as he pulled up a chair. Hawke, Merrill and Varric, along with his war council, were all sitting in the war room, watching the Champion intently. She took a long, exasperated sigh and nodded readily.

"Right." She nodded, entwining a heavy, strong hand with Merrill's. "Well, after you lot left, I managed to get in a few good hits at it until that… I don't know, pocket dimension we were in, collapsed. I guess you managed to close the rift?" Cantis nodded. "Thought as much. I… I guess I woke up later, and it was nowhere to be found. I wandered for a long time until I stumbled across the Vinnmark prison in the Fade, where they found me. I found Corypheus, the guy they described to you, and began to follow him around, see what I could figure out about what he was doing since… well, he's supposed to be dead."

"So, what exactly is this guy?" Cantis sat forward, leaning his elbows on the table. "Varric… tried to explain it to me, but I don't quite understand. Some… darkspawn mage, or something?"

"To be honest?" Hawke shrugged. "I don't know myself. He says he's one of those Tevinter Mages who breached the Fade. You know, the ones the Chantry says created the Darkspawn? I can tell you that he's one of the most powerful things I've ever fought, tore down the entire Grey Warden prison with his magic when I fought him. I managed to kill him once, which is what confused me when I saw him. Like, not I thought he was dead. Like, on the ground, full of holes, not breathing, head half cut off."

"The Chantry teaches dead souls pass through the Fade." Leliana offered. She was sitting at the table, eyes locked with Hawke's, Mara sitting in her lap. "It's purely conjuncture and faith as to if that's true, but if you've met with the origin of the Darkspawn..."

"I don't think so." Hawke shook her head. "I killed him years ago. He would have had to have gotten lost to all hell to have taken that long. And there was something… off about him. Demons and the magic there feels… I don't know, real. While anyone dreaming is… different. He felt as if he were dreaming, or otherwise not actually there. Not like a demon."

"Alright then, do you know what he wants?" Asked Cantis. "If he's not dead, and somehow managed to find a way to cheat death, that's concerning enough on it's own. But if he's our enemy..."

"He saw us in the Fade." Merrill spoke up. "Before we found Hawke, I mean. Attacked us, and threatened us. Said that he wanted the Inquisition to surrender to him so that he might not have to kill you." She blushed, realizing how threatening that sounded. "Not that I support that, of course not, it's just that I was telling you what he had told me, and then it started to… I-I'll just keep quiet now."

"So this Mage that we've never heard of is just expecting us to up and surrender?" Cullen scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

"Don't treat him just like any old mage." Hawke warned. "I'm not saying we should just give up to him, not at all. I managed to kill him once. But he's one of toughest things I've ever had to fight, maybe even the hardest. His magic managed to turn Vinnmark prison into a pile of rubble when we faced off. And if he has a way to come back from the dead..."

"That's what concerns me the most." Josephine spoke at last, having stayed silent as she transcribed the entire meeting for later review. "If you are certain that he was dead, that you weren't simply fooled into thinking so, then that seems great cause of concern. I would rather we _not_ fight something immortal."

"I'll start looking into it immediately." Leliana nodded. "Whatever he… it, they, did, we should be able to figure it out. Not like that kind of power is concealable."

"What worries me, is that you said that you saw visages of Red Templars in the Fade." Cantis gritted his teeth grimly. "Even if they weren't physically there, they were there with this Corypheus. If he's as tough as you saw, I hate to think of them helping one another. And if he knows the secret to immortality..."

"Well he obviously hasn't passed it along yet." Varric shrugged. "But you're right. If we start having to fight against something we can't kill… well, shit."

"There's something else you should know." Cullen spoke, and Cantis looked to him. "The Red Templars have been moving scouts south, down through the Arbor Wilds. They've been upending every last elven ruin that they can. They're looking for something, and we're not yet sure what."

"The Arbor Wilds?" Cantis asked in surprise, taking slightly aback. "What would they want down there? That place is nothing but a wasteland."

"I know." Merrill spoke. "You know of the Eluvians, the one I nearly gave my life to restore?" Cantis nodded. "They lead into a some kind of separate plane of existence, the Crossroads. It's not in the Fade, but it's very close. You know all of this, you went with us, you managed to rip open the rift to let us save Hawke. Well, there's another Eluvian in the Arbor Wilds, at a place called the Temple of Mythal. It's been though impossible to explore safely, it's so dangerous there. But if anyone could pull it off..."

"It would be them or us." Cantis nodded slowly. "And if they were to physically enter the Fade like us… what do we do?"

"We strike first." Leliana patted Mara's leg, getting her to move off of her lap. Then she leaned forward, locking eyes with Cantis. "Over the last year and a half, dozens of my agents have been able to infiltrate the Red Templars, and are spread all throughout Thedas in their camps and fortresses. Waiting, preparing. There are several places that we don't have access to, and I'm sure plenty that we don't know about. But give the word, and they, along with Cullen's forces, the Orlesian Royal Army, and the Grey Wardens, will strike. Together, we can utterly eradicate the majority of the Red Templars."

"Will that work?" Cantis raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm doubting what your people are capable of, but I know what the Red Templars are. You think you have the manpower to take on that sort of operation?"

"If they worked like a normal military, no." She shook her head. "But there's one reason we've had so much trouble locating them: they work in small, independent cells, separate from one another. Each cell has anywhere from six to a hundred people in them, no more. I won't have my men at the main fortress, the one where Samson is, do anything, we have no chance against that one. But everywhere else?"

"Do it." Cantis nodded. "Let's do this."

* * *

Exactly one week later, it began.

All of Leliana's agents had their orders and, at the crack of dawn, began their movements.

They began to sabotage the entirety of the Red Templar network. They opened gates for the soldiers to enter, set fires, stole weapons and armour. Commanders had their throats slit, dozens of soldiers fell within moments of the attack beginning, and losses for the Inquisition were minimal, only nine soldiers being lost in the day, when compared to the nearly thousand fallen Red Templars by the time the sun set. Ten camps fell within the first two minutes of dawn, and a dozen more a minute later.

The armed forces had been fed enough information by Leliana's agents to fill books, and those attacking knew more of the camps and safehouses than those defending. More than one hundred individual encampments fell in the day, and nearly all who had been stationed there were massacred, with few survivors.

The few places that the Inquisition didn't know of were quickly abandoned within the week, fearing desperately for their lives. Many, many of them fled to Andoral's Reach, the headquarters of the Red Templars. Their mad dash for safety allowed Leliana to sew even more of her agents within their ranks, the chaos making it simple for her people to slip through and join their ranks.

The operation had been a complete success, and the Red Templars were to never fully recover from it. They would be forced even further into seclusion now, and they now faced great supply line issues. Many more would starve, and they would find themselves undersupplied with equipment of swords and armour.

The Inquisition had beaten them back. But, as they would find, a cornered animal is more dangerous than a free one.

* * *

Samson laid his head on his desk. More and more reports came streaming in. It had been a week since their attack, and the total losses of their settlements were still coming in every hour. He cursed Cantis under his breath. The man he had treated like a son, someone he had loved and cared for, now having destroyed everything they had fought for.

" _Cantis._ " He cursed. " _The Inquisitor."_

The Red Templars had been decimated. They had Corypheus, and all of their remaining former Templars. But an ancient demon and a few hundred former soldiers wouldn't be enough to withstand their former brother. Of their original brotherhood, only he and Suledin remained, Tyrant having been murdered at Adamant, Liam killed by his own husband, and Louis thrown to a painful, miserable death.

"I'm sorry." A soft, sad voice called, and Samson looked up to find the same Dalish elf looking up at him, her eyes dark and sad, her golden halo of hair having begun to turn grey from the stress and anger. "This is all my fault."

Samson gave an angry, exasperated hiss before shaking his head. "It's not your fault." He tried to reassure, standing and laying his hands on his desk. "It's his. I trusted him, and now he seeks to destroy everything we've ever fought for." He let out another sigh, and looked up, locking eyes with her.

"Suledin? I want you to kill the Inquisitor."


	28. Far Away

_Author's Note: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger here. Really sorry._

_And goodness, I just realized how close this story is to being over. What would you wonderful people like to see when this is all over? I was considering rewriting Faith From Ashes, but I'm not sure. I was also considering a Modern AU of Dragon Age 2, since all the Modern stuff we see is them in Coffee Shops or something, and I would like to do something of the grittier and dark style of the game. Give that game the same renewal that this one did for Inquisition. What do you think?_

* * *

 

Morning dawned, cold and crisp. Shivering to anyone not wearing furs and leathers, and it was more than temping to stay in bed, curled under the covers and sleep away the cold. But, that wasn't to be.

Hawke was sitting at the grand table in the dining hall, listening uncomfortably to the echoes on the wall of her silverware scrapping against the plate. Everyone had left now, even Merrill was off to work with Morrigan on the Eluvians. The only ones left was her and Cassandra, who was nose deep into a heavy, leather-bound book with the Seeker's insignia emblazoned upon it.

"Good reading?" She asked slowly, and Cassandra snapped up to look at her, having forgotten anyone else was in the room with her. "I think this is the longest we've ever been in the same place without fighting with one another. I guess I should ask what's responsible for that, hm?"

"I..." She bit her lip and nodded. "It's… a tome passed down from Lord Seeker to Lord Seeker. Lucius gave it to me before he died. There's… a lot in here to comprehend."

"I'll bet." Hawke nodded, narrowing her eyes a little a moment later. "Something's bothering you. You find someone in there you don't like?"

"I… yes." She slumped her shoulders, falling back in her chair. "I'm not sure how much I can say, as a lot of it could cause… so much death, if it got out too soon. Not that I don't trust you, it's just… you understand." Hawke nodded, eyes locked on her. "Suffice it to say, I'm learning a lot. About the Seekers, the world… about myself." She glancedaway, watching the fire crackling in the corner. "I've learned something… it's something of a wake up call. That things that I thought were correct never were. It makes me wonder… how much control will I have in the following days? Of what becomes of the Inquisition? Of what happens to the Seekers? Of if _I_ become Divine? I'm beginning to wonder how much I'll have to let go, how much control I need to give up."

Hawke continued staring, her dark eyes burrowing into the Seeker even as the gaze wasn't returned. "That is..." She shook her head slowly after a moment. "Such bullshit."

Cassandra looked back up at her, looking confused at that. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She nodded. "Never give up control. Live your life on your own terms."

She nodded in understand. "I see your sentiment," She acknowledged. "But there are things I just quite simply can't control."

"Why not?" Hawke shrugged. "Maybe there are some things that you can't control what happens, but you control what it means. They can't make you Divine if you don't want to. You want to rebuild the Seekers? Go ahead, everyone else be damned." She gave a short sigh. "Look, Seeker. I have lived the last decadeof my life underneath the shadow of death. I've been stabbed, shot, poisoned, set on fire, crushed… you name it. Every day I wake up, and know that it's all going to catch up with me… maybe even today. And because of that, I've made choices. Choices that I stand by. I do what I need to, I take care of myself, because I have to. I..." she looked down, a knot tightening in her chest. This was hard to admit, but it needed to be. "I turn forty years old, next month. Back when I lived in Lothering, until I was… hell, maybe twenty-seven? I lived my whole life _scared_. Of what might happen, of things that might happen. Of giving up control. I would wake up in the middle of the night, and lie there, unable to sleep. And once I turned to Kirkwall, when death's shadow become more evident than anything else… I slept just fine. I began to make my own choices, for once. I was… I woke up, I guess is what I would call it. I realized that I had a right at my own life, that if control could be taken from me… I could take it back."

Cassandra looked down, thinking, and then looked away to the window, watching light streaming in, and down to join them at the table.

* * *

"I didn't expect this level of incompetence." Corypheus hissed, standing over Samson's desk and digging their claws into the table. "This Orlais is stronger than ever. Your efforts have strengthened them, and now they have decimated us."

"And you promised that your Nightmare demon could crush them all with a wave of it's hand." Samson retorted. "Look, we both fucked up. This Inquisition's tougher than we thought."

"This gets us nowhere." Corypheus sighed, letting up to the growing red crystals upon it's head. "We storm the wreckage of the Temple of Sacred Ashes together. The Inquisition is no longer stationed there, and they will be too slow to react to an onslaught."

"Fair enough." Samson nodded. "My men are ready to fight back. We can have them rallied within a day. Provided you've summoned enough of your demon friends?" Corypheus nodded. "Good. Then let's get started." He stood, and headed for the safe that he kept within his quarters.

What he found shocked him.

"Where the hell is it?!" He shouted as realization dawned upon him. The safe was utterly empty.

The orb was missing.

They were powerless.

* * *

 

Leliana groaned and relaxed back into her chair. Maker's breath, but it felt as if every paper she finished was replaced by three more in it's place. There had been such a windfall after the massacre of the Red Templars, and she was still swamped in paperwork.

"Momma!" Relief washed over her as she heard that wonderful little voice turning with a smile to see her daughter come running, a silly, energetic smile on her lips. Her sun and stars, a reminder of why they fought so much. So that this fight wouldn't be her fight, so that the stories of war would always remain just stories to her.

"Hi baby." Leliana smile, picking up Grace and pulling her into her lap. "How are you?"

"I'm good." Grace smiled, kissing Leliana on the cheek. "I'm… starting to feel better about being around a lot of people. I… keep thinking about what you told me. After… after those men came to Haven, before we came here." Leliana nodded sadly, tightening her arm around Grace's waist to reassure her. "If you and mommy can be brave, if all these big people can be brave… then so can I."

"I'm so proud of you." Leliana whispered, kissing Grace's forehead. "You're my big girl, and I'm always here for you. I can't imagine what you're going through, but you're so much stronger than it." She pulled Grace up a little further, meeting her daughter's eyes. "Listen to me. I want you to remember being scared, to never forget it, and remember how you can overcome it. I know it's hard, how it would be so much easier just to forget it. But I want you to be strong, even when you're scared. Because fear is the most dangerous thing you'll ever face. And, above all else in this world, I want you to live."

"I will." Grace nodded emphatically. She would remember that. "Oh! But before I forget, I came up here to give you this." She pulled a letter from her pocked, handing it to her mother. "Aunt Josie said that it came for you this morning, and told me to come give it to you."

"Thank you, sweetie." Leliana smiled, and Grace smiled back before hopping down and leaving. She kept smiling, watching the doorway Grace had left through for a minute before unsealing the letter in her hands.

_You know exactly who I am._ It read, and her smile began to fade.

_We're coming for the Inquisition. You've stood in our way since the Breach opened._

_When our attack begins, I expect you to open that gate for us. Or my agents will kill your daughter._

_You have until sundown._

* * *

 

"I treasure these moments." Josephine admitted, laying her head on Cantis' shoulder. They were standing together, in the garden, hands intertwined. It was remarkable, really, that anything and survived out here in the cold. Winter had come, and Spring wasn't too far away, and yet plants and leaves still clung to their lives. Perhaps that was the way of the North, that those who had survived the cold would be stronger for it. Cantis and Cassandra both hailed from the coldest parts of Thedas, and their lives had taught them not to bow to the world.

"I know what you mean." Cantis smiled, laying his own head upon hers in a gentle, sweet gesture. "Life is so demanding of us sometimes. Well, all the time, actually. I'm so glad to have time to spend with you." He swallowed, and poked his head up, thinking. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Josephine smiled, giving his hand a squeeze. "What is it?"

"I..." He glanced away, an adorable hint of a blush before he kept speaking. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be around. I get angry, I yell at people sometimes. I kill people all the time. It's not a safe life, and I'm sure it's stressful for you all the time as to if I'll come back or not." Josephine nodded morosely, not saying a word. "It's just… I don't understand why you love me."

"What a silly question." Josephine shook her head, not taking it from his shoulder. "I love you because you're you. I love you because you're strong, and brave, and kind. Not to mention you're an honourable man above all else.You're a hero, and not because it was thrown on you like so many others, but because you made the right choices. You were willing to sacrifice yourself, and the last people you considered your family, because you knew that they would inevitably destroy everything we love. You threw yourself onto the fire to save us all, and not just after the Breach, but again and again. At Haven, at Adamant, in the Winter Palace… not to mention your duel to save me."

Cantis smiled, laying his head ontop of hers. "I guess it's the way I am, I suppose, to not be able to see myself that way. Maybe that's the way the world works in general. I always wondered that when I was with Liam, and every last time someone was to… well, proposition me, as it were. Never knew why."

"I think that's the way a lot of people work." Josephine nodded. "I don't understand why you love me either. Though I will say that part of why I love you is how you don't pressure me for… well, the same propositions you turn down. That's something I had always been afraid of, entering a relationship. That someone would push me to such things when I wasn't ready. That is something that I appreciate of you, and I know it's something that you worry about."

"I do." Cantis nodded in turn, removing his hand from her and wrapping it around her waist instead. "I never told Liam since I was so scared it would end things then and there. It… relieves me to hear you say that. That you don't mind it."

"Of course not." Josephine moved, facing him face to face and felt his other hand slip around her waist. "I love you. I really, truly do." She stood on her toes and met him in a soft, sweet kiss. It tasted like the future, like a hope of a new day.

"Ser?" A voice called, and Cantis turned reluctantly to face them down. "Dispatch for you. Apologies if I've… interrupted anything."

"Not at all." He sighed, letting go of Josephine. "What is it?"

She was a tall Dalish woman, tall by elven standards at least, and didn't have the normal look of their agents. She had fierce tattoos across her face, the vallaslin, and a halo of golden blonde hair. A face that he recognized from somewhere…

He realized who she was only moments before it happened.

"Josie!" He shouted, and shoved her to the side, knocking her to the ground as Suledin drew her machete, and drove it through his chest, out through the other side.

Distantly, he could hear Josephine scream shrill, enough to crack glass, but he wasn't dead yet. Suledin tried to pull her blade back, but was stopped by his hand on hers, and then a violent fist brought across her face. Suledin tried desperately to recover, but Cantis picked her up by the shoulder, and threw her onto a potted plant, slamming his foot into the back of her head and shattering the pot.

Suledin jumped it her feet, stumbling back as her vision returned to her, and realized in horror that he was holding her blade, having ripped it from his chest and yet still standing tall. She tried to back away, but was met with a lunge, and felt her chest lurchas the blade ripped through to the back of her hand, then again across her face. Before she could recover, Cantis stabbed her through the back, piercing her heart and sending her to the ground one final time.

"Damnit Suledin." He hissed, placing a hand over his chest to desperately stop the bleeding. Black spots swam in front of his eyes as he tried to stay standing, knees wobbling from the wound. "I didn't want it to end like this."

"We both knew it would. End like this, I mean." She spluttered, rolling onto her back so he could see the utter agony she was suffering, seeing blood trail from her lip. "I… always look up… to you. You could have… have been… the best of us."

"Suledin, I-" Cantis started, but stopped as she held up a hand for silence.

"Shut the fuck up," She whispered. "And let me die in peace." Cantis closed his eyes a moment, and nodded sadly. Suledin died among the plants and trees of the garden, the place where she had felt most alive.

Cantis looked over, and knelt by Josephine's side. She was alright, but had fainted. Probably from the amount of blood. Ever since that encounter with the bard she had killed, she had developed a fear of blood, finding it hard to gaze on in even small amounts. He tried to life her, but fell to his knees in doing so. He would have to get someone else, and get himself to a healer before the blood loss did what she couldn't.

"Ser!" A voice called, and he looked over. Another Inquisition scout. This time, he hoped, the real thing. "We have a large military force marching on the gates. Scouts say they look Red Templars, we're not sure. Commander Cullen insists you get to the battlements now."

"Shit." Cantis swore, standing and stumbling towards the main halls. "Get the Lady Ambassador to her offices, and then get the Hero of Ferelden off to me. I don't fancy the idea of bleeding to death, and I don't trust anyone better with healing." The man nodded and saluted before running off to his task.

"Inquisitor." Leliana met him in the main hall, looking harried and frantic. "Maker's breath, what happened?!"

"Assassins." Cantis grunted, soldiering through the pain. "No time to explain."

"Assassins?" Leliana's heart fell in her chest at that. If they could strike at _him_ of all people… "Listen, I have to talk to you. It can't wait. At all."

"Come with me then." He groaned, and she nodded, pulling one of his arms around her shoulder and helping him walk. "What's going on that's so important?"

"I got a letter from the Samson." She explained, dogging through the crowds as they made their way forward. "He… told me of this attack, in a way. He said… said if I don't open the gates for the Red Templars… his assassins will kill Grace."

"Shit." Ho complained, ripping a piece of his coat off to bandage over the wound. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She admitted, her voice breaking as absolute and utter terror took her. "I… was just going to place her under guard, but… if this can happen..."

"I know." He nodded. "Well… if you open that gate, a lot of people are going to die, no doubt about it. But I won't sit here and pretend I wouldn't have done if for my own daughter. It… I don't envy you, and don't blame you for whatever you decide."

"You're not going to tell me not to?" Leliana asked, almost tripping over her feet in surprise, and he shook his head. "I… was expecting you to convince me against it."

"Family's the most important thing in this world." He nodded as they reached the wall. From here, he could see a thousand torch fires covering the valley. This must have been every last Red Templar in the world. "I can't tell you what to do."

He moved his arm, and left to meet Cullen. Leaving Leliana standing behind, helpless as she was faced with an impossible decision.

"What's going on?" He asked, and Cullen shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know." He admitted. "Scouts say they're Red Templars. But I don't know why they're here."

"Samson's probably come back, looking for his property." Cantis gasped, laying on the battlements, unable to stand under his own power any more.

They waited, and soon enough a long figure came approaching the gates. Samson himself.

"Evening." He kept his voice level and even, as tension thickened the air. "I think it's time you and I had a talk, _Inquisitor_."

"Tell your soldiers to stop aiming at mine, and I'll do the same." Cantis offered, but Samson shook his head.

"I'm not here to make negotiations, I'm afraid." Samson's voice carried over the battlements, strong and commanding and everyone shivered at it. "Listen. I'm tired of fighting this war. We came together in the beginning to end war, and that's what I want. Hand over my orb, and all hostilities end. That's my only offer. If not, then we storm your castle, and kill you all."

"I can't do that." Cantis shook his head. "You ripped open the sky when you had that orb the first time. Ripped reality apart. I can't hand it over, or we all die anyway." Everyone looked down, knots tightening in their chest as the reality sunk in. "Listen to me, Samson. What you want is to tear down this world, build a new one in it's place. But how many would die for such a thing? How many innocents, how many lives… how many children? But listen to me. This world isn't beyond saving. If we get a new divine, a better divine, it could all be better. We know the queen of Ferelden, and we practically own Orlais. We could make a new world without having to kill them all. A better world. There's enough room for all of us, in this world. If we rip it apart, we can't guarantee that what we'll have will be any better. But if we improve what we have..."

"Then it will all fall apart in a few years." Samson shook his head sadly. "I'll repeat my offer one more time."

"Listen to me!" Cantis shouted, black dots swimming before his eyes. "It's not going to be easy. Fuck, it'll be harder than what you want. But I can guarantee that what you want is a much worse option than improving upon this. Let go of this, this… obsession, this hatred. Let go of it, and nobody dies. Everyone who's made it this far has had to do the worst kind of things, me most of all. But we can still come back from it. We're not too far gone. If we clear way our hate, we can start to make it alright."

Samson stood there a long moment, nodded slowly, then turned away from Cantis, shouting to his soldiers.

" **Kill 'em all!** "


	29. No One Gets Left Behind

_A.N: Yeah, sorry for this chapter being so delayed and short. I kept this on on the burner a little longer since work has been hectic (What use does a farm have for razor wire besides ripping up my hands? I'll never know), and this chapter's been hard to write. I was going to make the whole Skyhold siege one big chapter, but I thought I'd get you guys something, at the very least._

_Also, I would like to call attention to another story of mine, if you're interested. It's a Dragon Age 2 Modern AU, like I had mentioned, called Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and it'll be the successor to this story once it's finished. It's not very good ATM, so I would love any feedback on it. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter._

* * *

 

" _Hey, what did I miss?" Cantis asked smiling as he entered into the clearing. Sunlight was streaming down through the leaves and illuminating the welcoming glade of grass and greenery. Suledin and the Chevalier were sitting on tree stumps, their chatter cut short as Cantis arrived, with Liam standing leaning against a tree._

" _Only an hour of training." Liam shook his head with a smile, hugging his husband and giving a light, gentle kiss. "You silly man."_

" _We're always training." Cantis laughed, returning Liam's embrace and trying not to show his face. He had deliberately avoided Samson being here, waited for him to leave to avoid taking the Red Lyrium. "Can't fault a man for taking a little time off for himself. Our whole lives shouldn't just be war, should they?"_

" _Not unless you get yourself killed for not being here." Liam pulled back as the others stood to leave with them._

" _That's not going to happen." Cantis shook his head, smiling widely. "You'll be in your own cold grave before you get to watch me fall."_

" _That's bold talk, potato farmer." Louis laughed, the both of them turning to him as they headed into the forest. "You keep talking like that, and your luck's going to run dry."_

" _I make my own luck." Cantis laughed, though at this point in his life, he didn't know the real meaning of those words. He was in a beautiful forest, surrounded by his best friends, and the love of his life. What more luck could he need?_

* * *

 

"I got you!"

Cantis could distantly hear the voice ringing in his ears, and tried to groan and respond, but couldn't. He was being dragged away from the battle, into one of the towers, and he tried to protest, to stay with his men, but his voice failed him.

Mara was healing him, even as the battle raged on around them. She had arrived at the front line sometime after the first shots were fired. Several Red Templar crossbowmen had him dialled in on their sights, and five different bolts had struck him within the first volley. He had continued fighting through the pain, grabbing a crossbow of his own and returning fire down onto the approaching army, but it had been too much.

"Damn, you took a beating." Mara shook her head, and looked to the fighting. He wouldn't be in battle-ready condition soon enough, and they needed her now. "You!" She shouted, and a pair of soldiers came running over. "Get him as into the Main Hall. We'll start using that as an infirmary. Then get back to the line. Double time!" The men saluted and ran off, even as Cantis groaned his protests through the blood.

The battle erupted violently around them. The Inquisition had Skyhold, but the Red Templars had caught them off guard. A suppressive volley of crossbow bolts came raining down upon them, and dozens died within minutes, and artillery pieces sent death up at at them. Their catapults weren't nearly accurate enough to hit anyone on the walls, but the mere fear of being hit was their true power.

A dragon's roar could be heard in the distance, and it came from the mountains. A towering mass of red crystal and sewn together flesh, wings spread to eclipse the sun. Down it came onto them, searing heat consuming those on the battlements, forcing them to dive out of it's way and into safety.

Then it began.

Hundreds of soldiers surged forward from their front lines in a reckless rush to the walls, shields held out. It wasn't hard to tear down these men, their minds rotted away by Red Lyrium and their tactics primitive. But that wasn't the point. Hundreds upon hundreds of them moved forward in a wave of soldiers, swarming the wall.

And at that moment, the gates began to open.

* * *

 

"Maker's breath." Josephine gasped as two soldiers carried in her love, seeing him like this made spots swim before her eyes, him laying there, covered in his own blood and stock still. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest as she lifted him from their arms, taking him into her own."What…what happened?"

"He was already wounded when the battle began." One of them explained. "Didn't look good. The Red Templars did the rest."

"Oh, Amore Mio." She shook her head sadly, letting his head into the crook of her arm. "Bring anyone wounded here into the great hall. We'll… we'll treat them in here, away from the fighting." She instructed, and they nodded, running off towards the battle. She cleared a table and set him down gently, kissing his forehead sweetly.

More and more wounded came flooding in, those who were no longer in a condition to keep fighting any longer. It made the fighting out there easier, for only the incapacitated to be taken away from the battle, but that made their jobs inside all the harder. It made Josephine woozy, to see so much blood, but she helped the others bandage up the wounded, knowing that their lives were depending upon her, and that there was no place for her fear of death and it's shadow.

She looked over and noticed Gracie sitting on Cantis' throne, in the throat of a dragon's jaw that it had been carved from. She was curled up in a ball, head in her hands as she shook uncontrollably. Seeing that the soldiers were taken care of for the moment and no new wounded were coming, Josephine went over to her, sitting next to her and wrapping her arms around the little shaking bundle of nerves.

"Hey, it's okay." She whispered, keeping her voice soothing and soft. "It's okay, Gracie. Aunt Josie's here to take care of you."

"It's all happening again, isn't it?" Grace whispered, her voice breaking and she curled away from Josephine. "Like… like at Haven. These bad people… they're coming after us again. After mama, and mommy. That nice man with the green hand. They're going to hurt us again."

"No, no." Josephine shook her head, curling her arms around the little girl and pulled to her closer. "It's not going to be like Haven. I promise. Just… just a little scuffle outside. That's all this is. Your mothers will take care of it, make sure it's all done with. Then they'll come right back inside and we can all have dinner together. Okay?"

Grace didn't say anything a moment, staying curled up into a ball even though she know allowed Josephine to hug her. "Okay." She said at last, her voice a little stronger, and Josephine smiled at her.

"Excuse me." A voice came from behind them, and Josephine looked to him. A soldier in Inquisition gear stood there, one of the guards they had been assigned in the hall, looking at Grace sadly. "The little one seems to be… distressed." Josephine nodded. That was putting it lightly. It would be a miracle if she didn't have traumatic episodes for the rest of her life. "Perhaps I could take her into the Undercroft, where she couldn't hear the fighting? I doubt that's helping her at all."

Josephine swallowed hard, and looked at the still trembling little girl before her, and nodded. "That would be best." She agreed, lowered her head next to Grace's. "Gracie, listen to me. Go with this man for a minute. He'll take care of you while Aunt Josie helps out your mothers. I'll come and get you in just a minute, okay?" Grace nodded slowly and slipped off the throne without saying a word. She looked sullen. Defeated. Helpless. It ached Josephine's heart, but she knew that they needed her help up here.

"Lady Montilyet!" A voice called a minute later as she tended to the freshly wounded. The voice came from another of the healers, looking harried. "Excuse me, but that soldier, the one that left? He left his bag." He motioned, and Josephine looked. Sure enough, a knapsack sat leaned up against a table. "He might have left it on purpose if it had elfroot or something else in it. Could you check for us?" She nodded and set to it.

Nothing of use. She sighed as she rifled through it, tossing personal items aside. Nothing abnormal for a soldier, and nothing to be used to help them. She was about to give up until the light glinted on something, making her look closer at it.

It was a bottle filled with Red Lyrium.


	30. Wrong Side of Heaven

_A.N: Wasn't going to put one of these up here, but I wanted to congratulate the anonymous user who successfully managed to figure out the meaning behind Cantis' name. As you know, it's an unusual name. It is the Latin infinitive very that means "He who sings", matching in a close parallel to Corypheus, meaning "The conductor". Congrats Anon!_

* * *

 

Cantis awoke in the main hall, groaning and rolling over. Everything ached, throbbing in a rhythmic beat of pain and misery.

Then it struck him.

They were still in the midst of a battle, steel clashing outside. He stood immediately, nearly doubling over as a wave of pain struck him, but he stood taller for it. No one noticed him, the mages being focused on the wounded, and the soldiers all intently watching the entrances. He knew that they would never let him rejoin the battle, but he refused to just stay here while his men suffered and died.

There was a pathway that wasn't currently being watched, trailing through the gardens and right into the middle of the battle. He grabbed his blades from where they lay beside him, and stumbled his way towards the battle. If he was to die today, he would do it with a blade in hand, not sitting in some cot on the floor, waiting for death to take him.

Out in the gardens, he stumbled and tripped over something, jumping back up to his feet, he realized what it was.

Suledin, or what was left of her.

Cantis bit his lip, realizing a cold truth: He was useless in a fight in his current position, in constant pain and barely able to stand, let alone fight. But seeing her there gave him an idea that he abhorred.

Reaching down, he found a bottle of Red Lyrium tucked deep in her coat.

* * *

 

Hawke cursed under her breath, bringing her blade down unto the throat of a Red Templar, falling in a pool of blood and lyrium in equal measures. She was bleeding heavily form her side where he had stuck her with a blade, but she was determined to go on. If Nightmare couldn't bring her down, nothing would.

"Mythal'enaste." Merrill breathed beside Hawke, leaning on her staff as she gasped for breath. "Ma Vhenan, we're going to be overrun." There was a note of desperation, a crack in her voice that brought cracks of their own to Hawke's heart. Hawke reached back with a free hand and clutched at Merrill's, giving her bleeding palm a comforting squeeze.

"It's okay." Hawke whispered, biting at her lip. "It's all going to be okay. We've beaten the odds before, haven't we?"

Merrill nodded a little, her face pale for the loss of her blood. "Wherever you lead."

"This is insanity." A voice called, and they saw Cullen, leaning against a wall as clutching at wounds of his own. "We can't keep going on like this."

Hawke looked to him, then to Merrill, her heart aching for her love so badly injured and in abject misery. She took a deep, shaking breath and nodded.

"Run." She whispered to Merrill, then charged forward. "With me!" She shouted, brandishing her blade, rallying soldiers to battle beside her. She had no illusions to defeating them, they were quite simply overwhelmed. But she could save Merrill.

"What are you doing?" Cullen panted, following as best he could even as he stepped painfully on where a spear had pierced his thigh. "What's the plan?"

"I don't know." Hawke shook her head, not slowing a beat. "I don't know. We hold them off for as long as we can. With any luck, we can hold out long enough to fight them off."

"Luck has never favoured us." Cullen shook his head sadly.

"We don't need luck." A familiar voice called, and they paused a moment when they saw it's source. There stood Cantis, glowing an eerie red, just like the Templars that now surrounded them.

"We make our own."

* * *

 

"I don't like it down here." Grace complained, more out of nervousness than anything else. She fidgeted nervously with her hands, looking out at the waterfall. "T-the water's pretty, but… it's so dark, lonely. So far away from anyone else. I don't like being around crowds, lots of people, but… but I do like being around people, you know? Mostly with mom, or mama, or aunt Josie. That nice man with the green hand." She shook her head, knowing she was rambling, feeling a little embarrassed. She hated talking to people she didn't know, never knowing what they were thinking about her, but right now she really did need someone to talk to.

Turning around, she realized the man was holding a knife.

Grace gasped, stepping back and covering her mouth. She was only a child, but she understood well enough what this meant. But… why?

She stumbled back, tripping over something, and fell, crying out. The full gravity of what was happening hit her, and she screamed as loud as she could, crawling back. But down here in the Undercroft, no one could hear her but him.

The man flinched, fighting back every last impulse to not do this. Was he really about to kill a child? Orders had come in, told him to do this no matter what happened in the battle. But still… she was only a little girl.

But she knew his face now, and there was no going back. Fighting back every urge in his mind that told him how wrong this was, he advanced.

Moments before he could reach Grace, he was taken to the floor by a flurry of motion. Josephine, having tackled him to the ground, ripped the knife from his hands and tossed it away, screaming for Grace to run. She heard the words, but couldn't bring herself to move, frozen in horror.

The Templar rolled over, and punched Josephine over the cheek, sending her reeling back. He jumped up, barely fazed by being taken to the ground, and eager for someone else to fight. Every last second that he could avoid killing the girl, he would. He punched down at her, slamming his fist into her eye, and began to choke her with his bare hands, not needing the knife.

Grace, looking up in sheer horror, her whole body feeling as if it was filled with electricity, gasped in shock. Aunt Josie had saved her, stopped him, and now she was going to die.

Josephine's eyes widened, struggling as best she could against him, but this soldier was far stronger than her. She kicked and fought back, but found little avail, making a choked, strangled noise as she tried to escape. Finally, her thoughts only turned to Cantis, and if he would be okay without her.

Then, as if by a miracle, it stopped. The man's hands loosened their iron grip, and she looked up, black spots swimming before her eyes. His eyes were wide, unfocused. Then blood drained down his lip, and he fell to the side.

A knife lay in the back of his neck, and above her stood Grace, looking horrified at what she had just done.

"Grace?" Josephine breathed, her voice croaking. It hurt to breathe, let alone to talk. Grace stood there mute, shocked, and then fell to her knees and onto Josephine, sobbing.

"A-a-aunt Josie." She cired, throwing her head into the hollow of Josephine's shoulder, sobbing into the silk. "He… he was hurting you. He… you were going to… and I..." A dry sob broke through her voice, and she clung tighter.

Josephine wrapped her arms around Grace, crying into her shirt in turn as she realized what had just happened. More death, and more innocence lost. She cried both for the blood spilled, and for what had just been taken from her. She briefly wondered if it would have been better had Grace just let her die, but shook it off. Then Grace would be dead too, and would have seen her die first.

"I know." Josephine shook her head, wiping her tears as best as she could. "I know. It's okay. It's all going to be okay."

"I couldn't just let him hurt you." Grace shifted herself a little, sitting in Josephine's lap and wrapping her arms around her neck. "I… I wasn't. I couldn't. I love you, Aunt Josie, and I couldn't let you… let you..."

"I love you too, Grace." Josephine whispered, pulling the little girl closer. "I love you too. It's okay. It's all okay. It's over."

The door to the Undercroft opened, and Josephine's heart sunk, fully expecting more Red Templars, that this would have all been for nothing. But there, miraculously, stood Cantis, who stepped down the stairs and knelt next to them.

"Amore?" Josephine whispered.

"It's over." Cantis nodded solemnly. "We won."


	31. For Whom the Bell Tolls

_A.N: Sorry that this chapter took so long. Been working on a Star Wars fanfic a lot lately, been trying hard to breathe new life into my fanfiction career, and it's been failing pretty miserably. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy._

* * *

 A great bonfire had spread over Skyhold. A red glare hung over the fortress, carrying high into the night sky, it's trail visible for miles. It would have been beautiful, except it was where the remains of the fallen Red Templars were being burned, the great magical blaze consuming their forms as it was thrown in. Ash carried on the wind, and Josephine lowered her head sadly.

"You don't have to watch." The words were familiar and warm, filled with love, but she didn't look back at him. She felt her Inquisitor behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and her stomach dropped. He was so thin and frail now, having been so sick after the Lyrium came back to drag him down again. "I know it's disturbing."

She ignored him, staring down at the fire and the burning forms, men cheering as they destroyed the dead. More savage butchery, from their own men. The price of war.

"Josie?" Cantis asked, his voice more quiet and reserved now. He put a hand up on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off as soon as she felt it, letting his hand fall back down to his side. "You're still mad at me, aren't you?" She stayed silent. "Josie..."

"Amore." Her voice cracked, sounding old and distant, as if she hadn't talked in forever. "Please. Don't." Cantis stopped a moment, and then bowed his head, eyes closed, and turned away, heading for the stairs to leave her alone. "Wait." He turned back once more, raising an eyebrow. "I… didn't mean that."

She turned around to see him. It might have just been the candlelight in the dark of the night, or the great fire outside, but he looked… pathetic. He had constantly been sick since the battle, unable to leave bed, leaving him thin as a stick, and weak as one. One side of his face was shrouded in darkness, and another in fire-red light.

"It's okay." He smiled, looking sad and weak. "I get it."

"No, I..." She sighed, trailing off and taking a step towards him. "I shouldn't have it's just… I almost lost you." Her voice ended off in a painful choke, making her look down to regain her composure. "When I'd heard what you did, I..."

Cantis stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms, letting her cry a week's worth of pent up emotion on his shoulder. "Shh..." He whispered, putting his head on hers. "It's okay, Josie. It's okay."

"And now the orb is missing again." She sobbed, pushing her head firmly into his shoulder. "They took it. And you're going to have to go fight them again, aren't you?" Cantis nodded sadly. "I… I don't want to lose you. I can't. Seeing you go through the Lyrium again, seeing you suffer like that… I can't bear anything worse."

"It's okay." He soothed once more, putting a hand on her back to hold her closer. "Josephine, it's all going to be okay. Listen, they caught us off guard this time. Now their soldiers are dead, and we'll be the ones to take them by surprise. It's all going to be okay."

Josephine nodded, looking up with red eyes, holding his gaze for a moment before throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss, tears on her cheeks.

Soon enough, Cantis found himself on the bed with Josephine, laying down on the silken sheets, her laying half ontop of him with her arms still firmly drapped around his neck. It took several minutes for her crying to stop, and soon thereafter her breathing eased itself into a level.

Once she had fallen asleep, Cantis wrapped her in a blanket, and then stood away, looking out the window. His face filled with darkness and crimson.

* * *

 Mara rapped her fingers nervously on the heavy wooden table, looking around. Grace still wasn't down for breakfast, and it had been nearly an hour. She had been cold and distant since the battle had ended, but it seemed like she was getting worse. Missing meals, sitting in her room all day, barely speaking to anyone… the mother inside of her was terrified of what this meant, and every time she saw Grace it broke her heart to see her child so badly hurt.

Everyone else had left for the morning, so Mara took with a weary sigh and grabbed Grace's plate, now cold, and took it upstairs. "Gracie, I made breakfast." She called up the stairs, to no reply. She went further up and knocked at her door. "I made Bacon and Eggs, your favourite." Silence hung. "Gracie?" Silence.

She opened the door, and her heart broke.

Grace lay on the bed, over on her side and away from the door, blankets curled firmly around a trembling little bundle of nerves. Mara set the plate on Grace's desk and sat on the bed next to her. "Grace?" She turned further away, looking away from her mother. "Grace, you have to eat something." She begged. "Please."

"What's the point?" Was the first thing that Grace had said in a week, keeping herself firmly tucked away, and Mara closed here yes, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Why should I?"

"The point is that your mothers love you, and I can't bear to see you like this.

Grace sighed and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, towards the sky. "Mom?" She whispered sadly. "I… guess aunt Josie told you what I did." Mara nodded, knowing exactly what this was about. "I… still can't believe it. One moment, he… was hurting Aunt Josie, and I… I knew I couldn't let him hurt her. The next, he… I..."

"I know, baby." Mara put a hand to Grace's cheek, and grimaced as she felt just how cold it was. Just like ice. "I know. You don't have to talk about it."

She turned her head over to look at Mara. "I… did a bad thing, didn't I? I… he's dead. And I'm not. It… doesn't feel right."

"It doesn't feel right?" Mara asked quietly. "What do you mean?"

"You and mama are always saying that The Maker doesn't like it when we do bad things, right? That if we do bad things then he doesn't like us. In the stories you read me, the bad person always gets struck by lightning or something. But… I did a bad thing, and nothing happened to me. If… if I just do things, and nothing happens… what does it mean?"

"You want something to happen to you?" Mara whispered, tilting her head to the side a little.

"Kind of." Grace nodded her head. "I… I don't know. It just… doesn't feel right, that he died, and nothing happened to me."

Mara sighed and nodded. "I know what you're feeling, Grace." She laid down next to her daughter, holding her in her arms. "I never told you about the Blight, did I?" Grace shook her head, tightening herself further into a ball. "You know, there was this farmer boy that I'll never forget. A man named Loghain said he would pay the man who killed me."

"Really?" Grace turned around a little, looking over at her mother.

"Yeah." Mara nodded sadly. "This poor farmer boy needed the money, really badly. So… he tried to kill me. He didn't deserve to die, not at all, but… I had to, to protect myself, and your mother."

"Really?" She asked again, and Mara nodded sadly. "And… it didn't make you sad?"

"Of course it did." Mara nodded, putting a hand on Grace's cheek. "But if I hadn't I would have died, and I would never have met you, you wonderful girl. The thing about the Maker is that he doesn't want you to follow every last little rule. He wants you to be the best person you can be, to do the best you can in the time that you're given. We're just people, we make mistakes, and do bad things sometimes. But I know that, deep down, you're an amazing person, and you're absolutely wonderful. You mean everything to me, and you're a good person, I promise."

Grace smiled a little, hugging her mother back. "T-thanks mom. That does make me feel a little better."

"You know, I think the Maker would want, and I know that I do, is for you to eat something."

Grace laughed, a sound that made Mara's whole soul smile. "Okay, mom. And… thanks for making me breakfast."


	32. *I'm so sorry*

Author's Note: I'm really sorry. Some of you might know that there's been some... drama, on my fanfiction account. I wrote something despicable, inhuman, and just plain wrong, and after that experience, I just don't think I can keep writing anymore. I'm so sorry, but... I just can't. If anyone wants, I can upload the epilogue to JJ&E, the story was basically done anyway.


	33. Epilogue

_Soon after the war ended, Leliana was crowned the Divine of the Chantry. She was the first to openly acknowledge her romantic relationship, and the first to have a child to her name. While she was highly controversial at first, her message of love and family would take root in many hearts. Eventually, this new spirit diminished the myth of the Chantry's might, causing more to take up against them, but it was a small price for the peace that it brought Leliana Amell._

_Time and duty often kept Mara and Leliana separate, but they adapted, as they always did. Mara would often be gone to the Grey Wardens, and would be at her wife's side the rest of her time. While it hurt, the world needed heroes, and she soon found ways to operate the Grey Wardens while sitting upon the Sunburst throne. Their relationship caused much controversy within the Chantry, but they would weather the storm of politics, together._

_Grace soon grew up into a fine young woman that both of her mothers were proud of. Her fear of public places would haunt her forever, as would her traumatic memories of war and death, but she soon learned to grow stronger than them. She would soon become the Right Hand to her mother, and eventually move on to assist with the Inquisition's efforts in Tevinter. Though old pains remained in her thoughts, they would soon coalesce into purpose, and she would soon embrace it to become a hero like her mothers._

* * *

  _Hawke and Merrill moved back to Kirkwall in the months following the end of Corypheus. They found, to little surprise, that the city was chaotic. They began to clean it up, as they always had, and the city appreciated their efforts for once._

_Hawke, having sunk must of the rest of her coin into repairing the city and clearing out the streets, was surprised when the city elected her to be their Viscount, a seat that had sat empty for more than half a decade. She appointed Varric as her seneshal, and soon set to work. While many took an opposition to such a controversial figure at their viscount, many were appreciative to finally have some sort of authority figure beyond the Aveline and her guardsmen. Eventually, as the dust cleared, Hawke would lead Kirkwall into a new golden age, becoming the most powerful City-State in the Free Marches, enough to challenge the likes of Tevinter and Ferelden, something unheard of in the Free Marches._

_Merrill was likewise soon decided to be the new Haren of the Alienage, considering her previous assistance with the city elves during the Mage Rebellion, and that the old Haren had been killed in the fighting. There was great civil disturbance over the Viscount and Haren being romantically involved, many calling Hawke a knife-ear lover and likewise Merrill as a slave to shems, but many also saw just how much the two adored each other and came to see it as a good sign of improving relations between the two races._

* * *

  _After a long and troubled life, Liam Trevelyan finally met his end at Haven. Although his intentions were pure, and his goals noble, he ultimately became just another statistic of war. Just another victim of the Red Templars. He would be shunned by society, his name and records written out of all official records of Ostwick. Soon, only Cantis and Josephine remembered him at all._

_Suledin was mourned by both her former clan, and of the elves of Alienages in Ferelden. While some of the elves cast blame upon her as a traitor and a monster, many more believed her a tragic result of the discrimination thrown upon elves as a whole._

_The Chevaliers as a whole denounced Louis' actions, but their organization fell into decline soon afterwards. Few publicly blamed the Chevaliers for his actions, but public and political support for the organization dwindled quickly._

_Few remembered Tyrant after their death. The Qunari had left them to die in Kirkwall, and all the remained was a serial number that lay in some ancient record tome, never to be seen with any significance again._

_After a long and eventful life, Samson's unwavering commitment to the Red Templars accomplished what nothing else could._ _Unable to clear his mind of the past, he was at last granted the death he'd awaited, bringing final rest to a life that had ended long ago_

_With their leadership destroyed and their numbers decimated, the Red Templars were broken and scattered, fleeing the area, fearing the Inquisition's wrath. Some would try to organize themselves to face the Inquisition once more, to no avail. Others tried desperately to reintegrate into society, to little more success._

* * *

  _With the Red Templars crushed, Cantis would remain the Inquisitor for nearly the rest of his life. It would see a great deal many changes, growing small and less important to the world in wake of the Red Templar's defeat, and it would see a great many of it's ranks be vacated, filled and vacated again, but he would remain a constant. He saw it as fitting, to have this position as both his reward and punishment for what he had done. He made a yearly pilgrimage to his farm in Ostwick to pay his respects to a life that had ended, and then back to Skyhold to face his new one. He was happy for the first time in a long time, but there were far too many nights when he awoke with sadness to realize he was dreaming of Abigail and Liam._

_Josephine would remain by his side for many years to come and, two years after the war ended, they were wed, and would happily remain so for the rest of their lives. Eventually she would move away and back to Antiva to protect her family financially, and to help the country avoid a war with Tevinter. Following this, the two of them were separated often, but Cantis visited whenever time allowed, and Antiva became something of a second home to him. His inner demons, if not extinguished, were at least… appeased._


End file.
